Google, Facebook, Microsoft & Twitter Partner For Data Transfer Project
In attempt to make data transfer easier for users.
Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Twitter joined forces yesterday to announce a new initiative called the Data Transfer Project. It aims to develop a new way to move data between different platforms without having to download and re-upload, according to a blog post by Google.
The current version of the project supports data transfer for photos, mail, contacts, calendars and tasks. It takes from publicly available APIs from Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Flickr, Instagram, Remember the Milk and SmugMug. While many of these transfers can already by made by other methods, the participants want to make the project more “robust and flexible” compared to existing conventional APIs. “Portability and interoperability are central to cloud innovation and competition,” said Microsoft in a blog post.
Microsoft also urged for other companies to join the project, saying that it could be central to better competition. The companies hope to set an industry standard for data portability. If the initiative reaches its full potential, the project could bring major changes to how we use technology; switching mobile systems, music libraries and other app information would be seamless across different platforms and devices.
Learn more about Data Transfer Project via Google’s blog.
