The Promise of Secure "Anywhere Access" of Multimedia Content
A Norwegian firm's Internet-based applications are designed for safe, high-speed file transfer.
Staff -- Graphic Arts Online, 11/1/2000
With U.S. headquarters in Milford, Mass., FileFlow AS, Oslo, Norway, has recently entered the dynamic storage and global delivery speed arenas.
Three major advertising firms--Dentsu Inc., Tokyo; J. Walter Thompson, New York City; and Leo Burnett, Chicago--are currently field testing FastSend and FastStore, two FileFlow software applications that have been designed to enable secure "anywhere access" of multimedia content for PCs, consumer electronics, and convergence devices.
Secure channel
FastSend is a secure Web-based file transmission technology that permits the use of the Internet as a safe and prompt distribution channel for digital files. The application features advanced compression capabilities, making it suited for all digital media industries as there are no practical limitations to file sizes that can be transmitted using the program, claims the manufacturer.
In addition to the company's proprietary Fast Image Transfer (FIT) image compression, the product can support open standards such as JPEG, JPEG 2000, and PNG.
FastStore comprises a Web-based virtual hard disk with search and browse functions including advanced tools for customized appearance and user access, which are supported by a fast transmission system devoted to the storage and retrieval of digital files, through its native support for FastSend transmission technology.
2-6X file compression
FileFlow's FIT image compression standard is commercially available today, producing a file that is two to six times smaller in size than a JPEG file with the same visual quality. Features of FIT include reduced download time; reduced bandwidth costs and server load; efficient storage; proportional scaling; automated installation; and support of grayscale, RGB, BGR, CMYK, and LAB color models.
FastSend uses military-grade cryptography to ensure the security and integrity of transferred information (e.g. images or administrative information such as billing details). The Web interface is protected by the industry-standard Secure Socket Layer used by most Internet businesses for protecting sensitive data.
Says the company, applications for the company's technology include standardized fast and secure e-mail solutions to customized virtual media asset management and transaction systems.
FileFlow provides two options for customers wishing to implement FastSend and/or FastStore. The programs can be purchased for a one-time fee or rented through an ASP-based model. Pricing is determined on a case-by-case basis for each client, dependent on issues such as estimated file traffic, specific hardware, and the total number of desktops supported. For more information, visit www.fast.no.
