I'm the first to admit I'm more than a little bit tech-challenged.  It took me forever to finally cave to the smart phone phenomenon, I resisted getting a tablet device until just last month, and don't even get me started on how long I waited to join Facebook and Twitter!  Needless to say, I tend to need a great deal of hand-holding when it comes to learning and adapting to new technology.  So of course I was thrilled to be invited to an exclusive event showcasing and demonstrating a fabulous new service called SugarSync.  After all, a private tutorial showing me exactly how to use a new capability is precisely the way to entice me to adapt - well played, SugarSync!

So, what exactly is SugarSync and how can it make your life easier?  SugarSync unlocks the power of your data by making it securely available at your fingertips anywhere, anytime from any device.  The service syncs your documents, photos, music and more across all of your PCs, laptops, smartphones, netbooks and tablets.  And just in case, SugarSync stores a copy of all synced files in your own secure online "cloud drive," always available to you via the Web.  Plus, you can easily share entire folders with friends and colleagues (no attachments required), stream music, and much more.  That means that when you're out and about, whether running from meeting to meeting or chasing after your kids, you can pull up documents or pictures you've saved on your home computer right on your netbook, smartphone, tablet or other mobile device.  And if you edit a document or add a file or picture on your mobile device, it will be automatically saved and available in its most updated form on all of your other devices. 

I love the idea of having all of my data available to me at any time, no matter where I am.  There have been several instances where I've been away from home and needed to access a Word or Excel document from my home computer but have had to wait until I returned home to do so.  With SugarSync, I'd be able to immediately pull up any document on my iPhone or Kindle Fire, making my life infinitely easier.  Same goes with pictures I've taken on my iPhone that I want to pull up and email out from my home computer.  Instead of having to individually email the pictures to myself, then save them as jpegs or other files, I'd be able to access them directly on any of my computers using SugarSync.  So smart!  And, given that my laptop, where I have so many important documents saved, is on its last legs, I love the peace of mind that comes with knowing all of my files are backed up via a cloud service and recoverable when my computer finally decides to give out. 

SugarSync also provides you with the ability to connect with friends and family in several handy ways.  For instance, when you sync your mobile photos and videos with your friends and loved ones, then any time you snap a picture with your phone everyone participating in your synced folder will instantaneously receive those pictures.  SugarSync also makes grocery shopping easier by allowing every family member to add to and access a shared grocery list housed in a shared cloud folder.  Same goes for setting up and coordinating family schedules and trip itineraries. 

And lest you worry that your personal information and documents are floating out in cyber space for anyone to see and/or access, never fear, as SugarSync adheres to the industry's toughest standards in order to ensure that you, and only you, have control of and access to your data.  Uploading files are sent using something called Transport Layer Security encryption, a cryptographic protocol that provides security for communications over the Web.  This means that your computer and the SugarSync server go through a "handshake process," whereby every piece of information is verified as a secure communication before changing hands, protecting your files in transit from prying eyes.  Then, once your data reaches the SugarSync servers, the files are encrypted with the same level of hacker-proof protection used by major banks.  Data is stored and backed up in two geo-redundant, carrier-grade data centers, and even the synced copies of your files are backed up by SugarSync.  The same level of security applies whenever you download your files to any computer or smartphone. 

The bottom line is, if even a tech-phobe like me can grasp the benefit of SugarSync, then you just know it's got to be good!  For more information or to sign up for SugarSync, visit www.sugarsync.com.