I recently read somewhere about a new technology - SugarSync. As with many new eGismos, it was free so I decided to try it out. SugarSync is a unique tool that synchronizes selected files on all of your computers with its software installed. The synchronization works in the background and it updates files instantanously.

Here’s how it works.

First, you download the free software from the SugarSync web site  (www.sugarsync.com). The service is cheap, starting at $2.49 a month for 10GB of sync space. You must install this bit of software on all of the computers you want SugarSync to synchronize. Then you need to go into the SugarSync Manager (click on the little round green icon on your toolbar on your PC). Select Add/Edit Sync Folders and select the folders you want included in your synchronization. If you want your other files (say, your laptop) to synchronize files to your home or office PC, select the appropriate folders on those computers as well. Save your selections and you are done.

I tested SugarSync to see if it did what it claimed and sure enough, IT DID!!! I edited a Word document on my laptop in New England then logged on to my computer in Washington DC and there it was!

I tried the free version for a couple of days and realized that this was a handy tool for me. I work in different physical places and having SugarSync keep track of my important files save me alot of time searching for updated files remotely. I purchased the product with 30 GB of storage and am a happy user.

As with alot of “toys” I realized that I wanted to use SugarSync in a couple of different ways.

First, I realized that it could serve as a cheap backup tool for my important files. For some time, I’ve been using an online backup service, which quite frankly, was expensive. With SugarSync, it backs up your files to its server along with your selected computers so backups are effectively taken care of.

Second, SugarSync can serve as a tool for sharing your files with colleagues. BIG CAVEAT. At this point, you cannot share some files with some computers and other files with other computers. It is an all or nothing proposition. I called the tech support people at SugarSync and they indicated that it did not have the capability to allow for the creation of multiple accounts.

What I had hoped to do was this: I have a personal folder on my office computer. I want those files synchronized with my laptop. I also have another folder, which I want to share with my colleagues in Denver. In its current state, SugarSync shares both folders with everybody - I can’t control who sees what folders.

I suspect that these guys will figure this out in time.

Finally, I have noticed that the synchronization process can eat up bandwidth when heavy synchronization is underway. I had turned off my laptop and had not used it for several weeks. When I turned it on and plugged it into a network, it seemed to slow down the basic Internet connection for awhile - REALLY slowed it down. However, after glaring at my computer and walking away in disgust, I returned a few minutes later and all was normal again. A bit of a pain but a definite trade off for its unique benefits.

Check this product out. I bought the product and find it useful. If you need to keep track of updated files across several computers, this is a product you should consider.