Skype 3.0 offers Gbyte file transfer, from Pando

Stuart Corner
Thursday, 21 December 2006 16:13

Your IT - Home IT

Skype has selected Pando Networks peer-to-peer file sharing technology to add file transfer and video RSS functionality to the latest version of its softphone, Skype 3.0.

The functionality will be provided through a Skype 3.0 add-on, Pando Extra, that will enable users to transfer large files and entire folders (up to 1GByte) to Skype contacts and/or any email address, and to send to and receive from offline contacts or contacts away from their computers.

According to Skype's director of developer program, Paul Amery, "Extras Manager is a new feature for Skype 3.0 which allows end users to do more with Skype. For some time now we have been working to enable Skype as a distribution platform for 3rd party add-ons and applications. Applications such as Pando are important in generating new usage and new users for Skype and software partners. I am really interested to see how users take advantage of this feature."

With the Pando Extra, users will be able to send multiple files to multiple recipients, simultaneously, post files (eg videos, photos, etc) to any web site, blog, MySpace etc. and subscribe to high quality Media RSS feeds.

Pando uses a BitTorrent-based, patent-pending peer-to-peer technology. Pando Networks has previously partnered with Yahoo! on the Yahoo! Messenger Plug-in. Without collaboration it claims to have solved email attachment limit problems for users of Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, Outlook and AOL Mail.