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August 07, 2012

How to...

BY GIANNA B. VILLAVICENCIO Special Features Writer

Get Insync with SaaS

Not to be confused with the Justin Timberlake-fronted boy band of the 1990s, Insync is locally produced software that links a user’s desktop or mobile devices to his or her Google accounts for file synchronization, or for keeping select data in two or more locations the same. Hence, it can be used for quick file transfer and online storage to back up files in the event of a computer crash.


The Insync Team

Terence Pua, Insync co-founder and CEO, explains how the company began and gives tips on how to build a software-as-a-service (SaaS) startup.

In an e-mail, he said that the idea for Insync came to him in 2005. At the time, he was country manager of Friendster Philippines and used multiple computers to do work.

"I liked listening to music while at work, but my iTunes libraries were always out of sync. I decided to solve this problem by putting my music in cloud storage and creating syncing clients," Mr. Pua said. This handy workaround pushed the entrepreneur to develop Insync.

Cloud storage involves using a remote server or network of servers to store a file or program to be accessed from multiple devices and/or locations. A client is a program used to access that data.

While at Friendster, Mr. Pua met programmer Marte Soliza, who collaborated with him on Insync's first lines of code in 2008.

"Initially, it was just me and Marte, until we got our first seed funding by [IT startup incubator] PhiLabs in 2009," said Mr. Pua. "Starting an Internet business in the Philippines is a huge challenge — infrastructure isn't good, [it's] hard to get [a] merchant account to process credit card payments, etc."

Another trial the new company faced was recruitment. Although Mr. Pua had acquired many contacts from Friendster, he said, "Putting the right team together was still monumentally difficult… Note to entrepreneurs, the first five to 10 people of your team will make up the company's culture. Be highly selective, and only hire the best you can find. Don't compromise." Today, the firm has a total of eight workers, including Mr. Pua and Mr. Soliza.

Mr. Pua also said that in developing business software, it helps to identify pain points, or the customer's problems, needs, or wants that can be addressed through a product or service.

Insync was incorporated in 2010 and officially launched at the end of the following year. After its launch, promotions were done by word-of-mouth. "It's still that way today. We have spent $0 in marketing," said Mr. Pua.

How exactly does the software function? After installation, an Insync folder is created on one's desktop or mobile device. When files are placed in that folder, they are immediately copied to one's account on Google Docs or Google Drive, which are free online services. Files made or edited with either service will also be accessible via the Insync folder, and users can also view recent changes to those files.

There's also Insync for Gmail, Google's e-mail service. Through a labeling system, files attached to a Gmail message can be instantly copied to one's accounts on Google Docs, Drive and also Dropbox, another data storage service.

To avail of Insync, one must grant the service confidential access to certain parts of the linked Google account. Users can then open and edit their files saved on Google Docs or Drive via the Insync folder, even if they are offline.

Users can also have multiple Google account support, which means that when they download Insync, their desktop or mobile devices can be connected to more than one of Google account. "Our initial users have multiple Google accounts," explained Mr. Pua.

Files can also be shared with one's Google contacts and placed in those contacts' Google Docs or Drive account(s). It's a potentially faster alternative to attaching large files to an e-mail or transferring them via flash drive.

Insync, through Google Docs or Drive, offers five gigabytes of storage. The beta version is free, while the upcoming version 1.0 will be a paid application.

The service is available for both Apple and Windows desktop and laptop computers. Insync for Gmail and Linux computers was launched last month, and by yearend, the company plans to have Insync on other platforms such as iOs, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone.

For more information, visit www.insynchq.com.


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