Super Fast Video File Transfer Technology And What It Means For Online Video

The structural and technological changes that are presenting opportunities for the use and deployment of online video are becoming all most too numerous to mention. Recently a Pew Research Center study noted an explosion in the adoption of broadband usage (now in use by 63% of American adults). Additionally, some 84% of home broadband users see their fast connection as "somewhat important" or "very important."

Now comes word of a new file transfer technology that dramatically increases that speed at which video files can be transferred and downloaded. This new transfer technology is the work of a company called Aspera. Aspera's co-founders' premise is that the traditional approach for moving files, primarily by using FTP ("File Transfer Protocol"), is inherently inefficient because it was optimized for text and used TCP, the underlying protocol that most Internet traffic relies on. Rather than trying to improve FTP or TCP as others have done, they instead designed their own protocol called "fasp" (Fast and Secure Access Protocol). By installing Aspera's fasp software at the file's send and receive points, large files can be sent over existing network infrastructure. fasp can send files 10 to 100s of times faster than FTP (there are charts here that show Aspera's tests).

Aspera has already had a significant impact on powering high-quality video transfers and distribution, but what may still be ahead for the company could be even more interesting. Aspera software could make its way into consumer devices like set-top boxes, gaming consoles, smartphones, etc. The company is in discussions with device manufacturers and service providers, but it is clearly still very early.

Bottomline, the rapid "adoption" of broadband, and technologies like Aspera's super fast "fasp" video transfer protocol, continue to point towards the increasing neccesity of businesses to plan for and develop an online video strategy!