Time to Share? Cloud-Computing and File Sharing is the technology focus in this Sept/Oct 2010 issue of Commercial Investment Real Estate (CIRE) Magazine, the magazine of the CCIM Institute. creGROW recommends the cloud-based file sharing solution box.net

1. ERCI A L
COMM T M E N T
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2. Technology
soluTions
tion information with
my clients from start
to finish,” he says. Lee
recently sent marketing
brochures, property pho-
tos, videos, sales compa-
rables, and other infor-
mation for an Irvine,
Calif., office transaction
through DropBox. “It
saves me time because
I don’t have to create a
Web site and organize it
each time I add a file,” he
explains.
Time to
Upping the time-
saving ante, DropBox
recently unveiled apps for
iPhone, iPad, Android,
share?
and BlackBerry mobile
devices. The apps allow
h
users to sync photos
and videos to their fold-
ers, share links to files,
and export files to other
by Rich Rosfelder
mobile applications.
DropBox’s free basic
version provides 2 GB of
has your e-mail message ever bounced back because the file online storage. The Pro 50 version, which
attachment was too large? At one time, a cD-RoM disk sent via costs $9.99 per month, and the Pro 100 ver-
carrier pigeon might have been the fastest way to circumvent this sion, which costs $19.99 per month, offer 50
problem — especially if a file transfer protocol, or ftp, site wasn’t GB and 100 GB of storage respectively.
available. Fortunately, several Web sites now offer file-sharing ser-
Client Comfort
vices. Ranging from feature-laden project-collaboration platforms to A cloud-computing platform “must be easy
simple file-hosting sites, they provide a more-efficient, effective way not only for the account owner to utilize
to share a variety of digital media. but also for the client,” says Dave Lewand,
owner of CreGrow, a commercial real estate
Send in the Clouds shared folders or add their own files to the marketing firm. Lewand’s projects include
During the last few years, cloud-computing folders, which are automatically backed up. corporate Web sites and property brochures,
platforms, which provide Internet-based In most cases, the folders also can be synced which both require daily collaboration with
storage and services including secure file across multiple computers and operating clients. After researching a variety of plat-
sharing and syncing, have become indis- systems, allowing users to access and mod- forms, Lewand chose Box.net because it lets
pensable to professionals in many collab- ify their files from almost any computer or his clients customize file and folder struc-
orative industries, including commercial mobile device. tures so they can collaborate comfortably.
real estate. An informal poll suggests that DropBox “Throughout the Web site development
Mike Kemp/Photolibrary
Most of these platforms offer the same is the cloud of choice for many CCIM mem- process, my client has real-time access and
basic features. Users can share files by giv- bers, including Allan M. Lee, CCIM, senior the ability to comment upon all creative
ing others access to a file folder via invita- associate with NAI Capital in Los Angeles. work,” Lewand says. “And our communi-
tion. Invitees can view and modify files in “I use DropBox to share complete transac- cation occurs within a protected environ-
 September | October | 2010 Commercial Investment Real Estate

3. ment” that users can access on desktop willy-nilly: Though drops can be cus-
computers and mobile devices, he adds. WheRe cAn you shARe? tomized to include a password, expi-
Like DropBox, Box.net offers a free basic ration date, and guest permissions,
version, which provides 1 GB of storage and Box.net: www.box.net file encryption only is available with
has a 25 MB file-size limit. Additional stor- Drop.io: www.drop.io Drop.io Manager, which offers paid
age space is available with the Individual DropBox: www.dropbox.com subscription plans that include addi-
and Business versions, which cost $9.95 per Senduit: www.senduit.com tional features and storage space.
month and $15 per user per month respec- SpiderOak: www.spideroak.com Senduit, another free fi le-sharing
tively. Box.net’s Enterprise version provides service, has an even simpler inter-
YouSendIt: www.yousendit.com
unlimited storage and custom integration face. After selecting a fi le, users are
with several applications and Salesforce. prompted to choose an expiration
com. Contact Box.net for additional cost time — from 30 minutes to one week.
information. ing up for a service that you might never Senduit then provides a private link to the
use again. file that can be e-mailed to whomever users
Simpler Sharing Drop.io allows users to upload up to care to share with.
Cloud-computing platforms are useful 100 MB fi les and create sharing points, or But this time, the e-mail won’t bounce
when collaborating with a team or regu- drops, with unique URLs at no cost. Guests back.
larly sharing fi les. But when a large fi le can use the links to download or modify
needs to be transmitted quickly, there’s fi les. Rich Rosfelder is associate editor of Commer-
often no reason to spend extra time sign- But don’t start uploading top-secret files cial Investment Real Estate.
ciremagazine.com September | October | 2010 