YBLTV: What is it the company does?
StoAmigo: StoAmigo is a software company. We are headquartered in Las Vegas, NV, with a focus on helping people and companies manage their digital content. What started as a media management platform quickly evolved into a cloud - centric ecosystem that gives people a single user interface to access the files stored on any of their devices. We’ve basically taken all the storage space on all of your devices and combined them into one, easy-to-manage storage platform which can be accessed from anywhere. To give an example, you can store a video or a song on your tablet, but access it from your smartphone or from your laptop. You can share it with anyone you’d like from any of those devices, and stream it real-time on demand.
YBLTV: What inspired the company to start-up?
We saw that many people were uneasy about using the public cloud for fears of uploading their files to remote servers. The cloud has made it very convenient to access and share files from anywhere in the world, but there are many concerns over the security and privacy of the public cloud. People weren’t sure who might be able to access their files on these servers. We knew that if we could bridge this gap and provide users the option to not have to upload their files to public cloud servers in order to enjoy cloud technology and convenience that they would be encouraged to use this service. We have worked hard to give our users the ability to host their own cloud so they are able to enjoy all the benefits of the cloud but without any of the security concerns.
YBLTV: How did you go about starting up, did you apply for funding or did you self-fund the project?
If so, where did you secure funding from?
StoAmigo: StoAmigo is a privately funded company.
YBLTV: Where do you get advice, support and/or help?
StoAmigo: For starters we solicit the advice from others who are in startups on the best ways to achieve success as a startup and what pitfalls we should avoid. It’s best when you learn both from the successes of others as well as their missteps. We are also constantly in communication with those in the tech community to see where the latest trends are heading and what they are looking for from companies such as ours. Finally, we place a great deal of value in any feedback we receive from our users. We want to make sure we are meeting their needs so it’s important to stay tuned to what they’re looking for from a cloud and file sharing perspective.
YBLTV: What has been your biggest challenge so far?
StoAmigo: The biggest challenge is getting the word out about StoAmigo and Tack App. The tech market is so saturated that even when a company offers a unique product like Tack App (and it’s offered for free) it can be very difficult to get users to sign up and try it out. There is an educational component that comes into play as well We have to educate the user about what makes Tack App different from other cloud and file sharing products and services. We find that once users learn about us and understand how we were built to be a better alternative to what’s out there, they love using StoAmigo and Tack App and telling others about it.
YBLTV: What is your next big target?
STOAMIGO: In the very near future we will be releasing the full version of Tack App for Android. We are also adding more features and functions to both StoAmigo and Tack App that we believe our users will love, including a much anticipated StoAmigo Messenger. We are working on adding solutions to address the enterprise marketplace. We are hopeful that soon you will see our solution embedded in some consumer electronics products coming to a shelf near you.
YBLTV: What is the best and worst thing about being a start-up?
StoAmigo: The best thing would be the growth in popularity that you see in the company and employees. It’s great to see a company start from humble beginnings and become an organization that meets the needs of consumers around the world. The worst thing about being a startup is that you’re a small voice in a crowded arena. Even when you offer the best product or service it is hard to get recognized because there are larger companies with vast resources that can reach an audience of millions with ease. This is why we appreciate startup profiles like this one because awareness is what helps us compete against the giants.
YBLTV: What makes this idea different?
StoAmigo: In a conventional cloud or file sharing scenario, the user needs to upload their files to third-party servers in order to remotely access them from anywhere. With Tack App, the user ends up hosting their own cloud on the computer they already own. There is no uploading required with Tack App. Users simply run Tack App on their computers and they are able to access the contents of their entire hard drive through their free StoAmigo account. In a nutshell, the Tack App turns any computer into a cloud server.
Tack App is also currently the easiest and fastest way of sharing large files and folders. With a conventional cloud upload it can take hours to upload 20GB of data in order to share it, but with Tack App the user can share the same data in seconds.
Additionally, users will be able to stream all of their media remotely through StoAmigo’s native media player.
YBLTV: Who would be your dream customer?
StoAmigo: Tack App and StoAmigo are for any consumer or enterprise customers that are interested in a file management system that provides secure, private, and unlimited cloud access along with quick and easy file sharing.
How do you see the IT landscape evolving in 2016 and beyond?
StoAmigo: There seems to be a greater focus on security and privacy of data when it comes to the IT landscape. Users want to enjoy the benefits offered by cloud and file sharing services, but are weary of adopting any service that may have data leaks. We’ve seen the effects of the NSA Prism scandal, the iCloud celebrity photo leaks, and even the current situation with the Panama Papers. Users don’t want to have to worry about situations such as this and are hesitant to adopt any technology that might leave them exposed. Therefore, the landscape is evolving where IT products that can satisfy both the technical as well as security needs of consumers will stand ahead of the pack.
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Connect with StoAmigo:
Business Name: StoAmigo
Owner Name: Ben Ow
Website(s): www.stoamigo.com and www.mytackapp.com
Twitter Handles: @stoamigo and @mytackapp
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StoAmigo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stoamigo/