BitTorrent updates Sync for improved speeds, announces 1 million users, new API

BitTorrent's Sync, the service that lets users securely sync files and folders across multiple devices without the need for them to go through third party servers, has announced that it now has an active user base of 1 million, synchronising about 30 petabytes of data on the service since its initial beta launch. In July, BitTorrent had said that Alpha users had synced over 8 petabytes (1 petabyte = 1048576 gigabyte) of data.
 
BitTorrent has now announced version 1.2 of the Sync service. The firm claims that the updated version of the service is twice as fast as its previous iteration and that the app has been clocked at 90 MB/s on LAN.
 
BitTorrent has also updated the Sync for iOS app, which now sports a new design, improved connection speed, iOS7 compatibility, and native iPad interface. The iOS app now lets users send and sync files in other apps, and save media from Sync folders direct to the iOS device's camera roll. The iOS app was first released in August. Sync also offers an Android app.
 
In addition to the new release, BitTorrent also announced that it's releasing the BitTorrent Sync Beta API, which will allow developers to create distributed social media, communications, and enterprise apps integrating the Sync platform. The API is designed to work across all major operating systems, including Windows, Mac, and Linux, as per the company.
 
The initial release of the API offers support for syncing selected files only, allowing developers to choose whether to sync specific items, or entire folders; UI-less mode enabling developers to integrate Sync and all its functionality, without the need to use the default UI and support for Encryption Secrets that allows storing an encrypted copy of all the users' folders on a remote server, to build a private cloud.
 
Sync allows users to experience the functionality of file sync and storage services like Dropbox and Skydrive, but doesn't require them to store their files on a third-party server. So, they can access their files across multiple devices via the BitTorrent technology, and there's no limit to file size, transfer or storage limits. Also, since a third-party doesn't have access to user data, and data is encrypted during transfers, there are fewer privacy and security concerns.