Docker acquires file syncing and sharing app Infinit, will open-source the software

Docker, the startup that pushes open source software for packaging up code into containers that can be deployed on many machines, today announced its latest acquisition: file transfer app Infinit.

Yes, that’s right, Docker bought a company with a consumer-friendly app. It lets you sync files to your other devices or send them to others.

But of course, Docker sees potential in the technology that enables Infinit. Which isn’t that surprising when you consider that the company that predated Docker, dotCloud, once provided a cloud service of its own, just like Infinit, which claims to send files more quickly than Dropbox or WeTransfer. (It uses a peer-to-peer networking model.)

Docker founder and chief technology officer Solomon Hykes explains the acquisition in a blog post:

Using their technology, we will provide secure distributed storage out of the box, making it much easier to deploy stateful services and legacy enterprise applications on Docker. This will be delivered in a very open and modular design, so operators can easily integrate their existing storage systems, tune advanced settings, or simply disable the feature altogether.

Over time Infinit’s underlying code will become available as open source software. Infinit is also in the process of adding support for iSCSI and the S3 storage service from public cloud infrastructure provider Amazon Web Services (AWS), Infinit cofounder and chief executive Julien Quintard wrote in his blog post.

Infinit was founded by Quintard and Baptiste Fradin in 2012. Quintard developed the software while earning his PhD from the University of Cambridge. The company offers Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android apps. Based in Paris, the startup went through the TechStars accelerator in 2014. Investors include Alven Capital and 360 Capital Partners. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

“Docker has the potential to reshape infrastructure software at large,” Quintard wrote. “This is why, even though Infinit was about to close a significant round of financing, the team has preferred to join Docker in order to have a bigger and more direct impact.”

Other recent Docker acquisitions include Conductant and Unikernel Systems.