storage dmackey on 11 Jul 2008 04:19 am
Streamload/MediaMax/The Linkup Closes.
Image via WikipediaI doubt many people will notice or miss The Linkup aka. MediaMax aka. Streamload. But I was surprised (somewhat) when I received the email from The Linkup informing me that they were closing down. Not so surprised because of the quality of their service - but because they had been struggling for so long. Why stop now?
Streamload was a fascinating company that allowed individuals to upload files through a web-based interface. It differentiated itself from the competition with high limits - 25 GB - and no file size caps. It rebranded itself as MediaMax and released a software application that had potential. It allowed for uploading/downloading and backups. Unfortunately, the software stagnated for month after month and then the big crash came. A developer wrote code that began chewing through not just unneeded files but also active needed ones. MediaMax never recovered.
At first there was very little communication from MediaMax, then they began blogging but blog entry after blog entry stated only, “We are having difficulties…We are working on them…Bear with us.” Then, finally, MediaMax decided to rebrand yet again - this time to The Linkup. This was when I abandoned all hope for utilizing the service in any useful way. The Linkup abandoned many of MediaMax’s old principles and the distinctives that had made MediaMax so useful - instead choosing to become another run of the mill online storage platform with 2 GB file limits and expensive(r) prices. Whereas MediaMax had offered massive storage accounts to companies for reasonable prices, Linkup was clearly focused on consumers only.
What made the entire scenario more interesting was the relation between these three companies that were actually one and another company - Nirvanix. Nirvanix is currently blossoming and challenging incumbent Amazon in the cloud storage arena, but the relationship between MediaMax and Nirvanix will forever haunt it. With essential original brainpower coming from MediaMax to Nirvanix and the close relationship the two appeared to have (even though Nirvanix refutes any close relationship between the two and suggests that the downturn of the business came after the intellectual powers moved from MediaMax to Nirvanix) - people can’t help but wonder…
Still, I personally would utilize Nirvanix. In fact I’ve spent some time testing out various aspects of their service. Its a pretty nifty service and offers some significant advantages over Amazon AWS S3 - for example no file size limits (this is huge!) and a CIFS NAS application that creates a virtual NAS server that actually utilizes Nirvanix storage. Granted, the CIFS NAS is still in early beta - but its a killer feature if Nirvanix can make it work.
Would I put all my most valuable files up on Nirvanix? Sure, but I’d probably want a copy somewhere else, just in case…maybe even over at Amazon. Of course this is cost prohibitive for any business with significant amounts of file storage. What will really be a killer application is when someone uses an advanced parity algorithm to distribute files across multiple cloud based storage providers allowing any given provider to fail while maintaining data integrity and yet reducing total costs due to storage size on any given storage provider to be minimal over placing all storage on one provider.
Nirvanix has some dark shadows around it. No, its not their fault. But its sort of like when you have a friend who is a little crazy - the reputation rubs off. Maybe thats one reason The Linkup closed their doors? Their continued presence was causing that shadow to reflect on Nirvanix.
Finally, its worth noting that MediaMax suffered from a catastrophic mistake, but the majority of our businesses are not that far from a similar mistake. Just watch the tech. news and the daily catastrophes - whether from without or within. Our architecture is still so frail - just like our own mortality.
on 11 Jul 2008 at 5:36 am 1.Tom Bassett said …
Over at Techcrunch, Charlie Jackson (former member of the board of Mediamax) blames Nirvanix for losing all the Mediamax customer files.
And over at the Linkup Users forum, John Hood, former Mediamax head of Customer Service, states that Nirvanix demanded that Mediamax LIE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS (his words) about the situation.
I’d say Nirvanix is a little more in the wrong then you’re giving them credit (or blame) for.
on 11 Jul 2008 at 6:16 am 2.Tom O'Donnell said …
Based on your comments, you may want to ake a look at CleverSafe. They have patented data dispersion technology they are baking right now. What do you think of them?
PS - No I do not work for them, they have recently caught my attention.
on 11 Jul 2008 at 12:50 pm 3.dmackey said …
Mr. Bassett - Your links are fascinating. I look forward to seeing further discussion of these comments by Streamload/MediaMax employees.
Mr. O’Donnell - Actually, Cleversafe was in mind when I wrote the post. Unfortunately I could not recall their name at the moment, but I have been impressed by their technology. They are mainly focused on Linux at this juncture and at this point have developed a great technology but lack the sort of GUI tools that could make the technology ubiquitous.
on 12 Jul 2008 at 12:21 am 4.Jennifer said …
On the subject of file backup, sharing and storage …
Online backup is becoming common these days. It is estimated that 70-75% of all PC’s will be connected to online backup services with in the next decade.
Thousands of online backup companies exist, from one guy operating in his apartment to fortune 500 companies.
Choosing the best online backup company will be very confusing and difficult. One website I find very helpful in making a decision to pick an online backup company is:
http://www.BackupReview.info
This site lists more than 400 online backup companies in its directory and ranks the top 25 on a monthly basis.
on 14 Jul 2008 at 8:31 pm 5.Kendra said …
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on 28 Jul 2008 at 9:11 pm 6.Paul said …
lets clear all these rumours up, check out this post from Nirvanix: http://developer.nirvanix.com/blogs/nirvanix/default.aspx
on 28 Jul 2008 at 9:14 pm 7.John H said …
This is “The other John Hood”
I am not related in any way to the John Hood who worked at Mediamax/TheLinkUp. I write reviews of free and open software and webware for my site Best of Free Software - http://www.jhoodsoft.org.
My only relationship to Mediamax/TheLinkUp is that I am also a disgruntled customer who also lost data. Please tell people to stop sending emails of complaint to me. I can do nothing for them except shout “amen.”
I am now a happy customer of http://www.humyo.com
Thank you,
John Hood-not-the-MediaMax-one
on 30 Jul 2008 at 1:54 pm 8.E said …
@Paul, that Nirvanix response is phrased eerily familiar to all Mediamax and The Linkup responses to its customers. “It wasn’t us, we have nothing to do with the other company, it is the other company’s fault.”
As far as I can tell, it is BOTH company’s fault, and I wouldn’t trust a grass blade to either of them.
on 06 Aug 2008 at 1:04 pm 9.Dave said …
If Nirvanix and Mediamax are in no way attached, what about the alleged deletion of a host of files by Nirvanix sometime ago, if they are un-connected how come Nirvanix had access to Mediamax customers data?
How come their offices are across the road from each other?
How come people like Paul are desperately trying to get people to read the Nivanix blog….which you can’t post comments on….I wonder why?
How come non of these bloggers who have supposedly written untruths about the companies haven’t been hit with liable suites….because the companies involved haven’t got a leg to stand on.
How come they are now slinging mud at each other over who’s fault it all is?
Patrick Harr worked at Streamload and Nivanix.
Steve Iverson worked at Streamload and Nirvanix.
If you think there is no connection you are deluded.
http://nirvanixusers.blogspot.com/
http://partyoflife.wordpress.com/
http://www.demo.com/community/?q=node/160512
And another thing, a company called The Box is now offering a special discounted rates for old Mediamax users, however if you got to the The Linkups website you will see an advert for a company called…guess what…The Box, now call me suspicious but I would be very careful about using anyone in anyway associated with Mediamax, even if it is legitimate advertising.
If I were The Box, The Linkup website is the last place I would be advertising.
on 13 Aug 2008 at 10:06 am 10.Alex said …
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!