Add one more to the growing list of cloud solutions out there, as Funambol yesterday announced the general availability of its new MediaHub software.
Funambol says that unlike cloud storage services that are tied to a single brand of device or are file-centric, open source-based MediaHub syncs a variety of data and media across nearly all mobile and connected devices, including iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Symbian.
As a white-label solution, MediaHub is targeted for mobile operators, device makers and other companies that want to deploy a branded cloud digital locker. MediaHub can be licensed for deployment behind the firewall or hosted by Funambol on behalf of customers for rapid time to market.
Funambol's offering comes in the wake of recent announcements from Amazon, Apple and Google, all of which have launched cloud-storage solutions of their own, which means differentiation is a must for Funambol.
"MediaHub is like iCloud but for all devices," said Amit Chawla, CEO of Funambol. "It enables carriers, device makers and other mobile service providers to increase revenue and customer loyalty by syncing, storing and sharing user data and content across diverse devices."
Chawla says a solution like Funambol's can ease the pain of "on-boarding" a user's data when they switch device platforms, say from a RIM device to an iOS device.
For end users and developers, MediaHub can be instantly accessed for free online. The company offers 150 MB of free user storage. In addition, the company is extending its Cloud API to support video and files to enable developers to create apps that sync and share rich media across a variety of mobile and connected devices.