Aspera says it can triple data speed for iPhone

Aspera has made its name transporting big digital files and videos from one professional creator to another since 2004. But now the company is going to do something that may pique the interest of everyday iPhone owners: triple their data transfer speeds.
The new service, fasp-AIR, is being previewed at the Macworld show this week in San Francisco. It enables faster data transfer over wireless data networks including 3G (which the iPhone uses), Wi-Fi, and LTE networks.
The service isn’t available as an app yet, but should be in the first half of the year. If you want to try it out, you have to go to Aspera’s web site and then download its application there. Then your company has to set up server software that can communicate with your app and set up the parameters for fast data transfer.
So it isn’t a no-brainer for consumers just yet, but it suggests some tantalizing possibilities for the future, particularly for those who are fed up with slow data network speeds.
Aspera already provies a high-speed file transfer technology under a protocol known as fasp (fast and secure protocol). That protocol is faster at moving data than the Internet’s typical protocol, said Michelle Munson, president and co-founder of Aspera. A number of news organizations use the protocol to move news video at faster speeds from remote locations. CNN and other broadcasters use it to move data from disaster sites such as Haiti. Weta Digital, the special effects house, also uses it to move data from one place to another. Aspera has more than 700 customers already.
But once the new app is available, developers will be able to create apps that make use of it and deliver faster performance for video and photo applications. Sites that leverage user-generated content, such as home videos, will likely be able to exploit fasp-AIR by enabling their users to upload from their phones. Munson said that the performance in speeding up data delivery on Wi-Fi is even better than on 3G. Developers can integrate fasp-AIR into their apps using Aspera’s software developer kit.
This can’t arrive soon enough for folks who have complaints about AT&T’s network. The company is self-funded and profitable. It has 65 employees.