Zamzar

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Zamzar Ltd
Zamzar Logo.png
Type of site
Online file conversion
Available inEnglish
OwnerMike and Chris Whyley
URLwww.zamzar.com
CommercialYes
RegistrationOptional
Launched30 October 2006; 15 years ago (2006-10-30)
Current statusOnline

Zamzar is an online file converter, created by brothers Mike and Chris Whyley in England in 2006.[1] It allows users to convert files without downloading a software tool, and supports over 1,200 different conversion types.[2] Since it was started the service has converted over 400 million files for users[3] from 245 different countries, including Antarctica.[4] The service supports the conversion of documents, images, audio, video, e-Books, CAD files and compressed file formats.[5]

Users can type in a URL or upload one or more files (if they are all of the same format) from their computer; Zamzar will then convert the file(s) to another user-specified format, such as an Adobe PDF file to a Microsoft Word document.[6] Once conversion is complete, users can immediately download the file from their web browser.[7] Users can also choose to receive an email with a link to download the converted file.

File conversion API[]

in 2015 Zamzar launched a file conversion API, allowing users to integrate file conversion capabilities into their own websites and applications.[8] Sample code is provided to allow users to integrate file conversion capabilities in C#, Java, Node.js, PHP, Python and cURL.[9] Zamzar also maintains a project on GitHub which allows users to perform file conversion from the command line on Linux, MacOS or Windows systems.[10]

Email file conversion[]

It is also possible to send files for conversion by emailing them to Zamzar.[11] Zamzar launched this capability in 2012,[12] allowing users to email files to dedicated email addresses for the file to be automatically converted to a different format. A link is then emailed back to the end user to allow them to download their converted file. For example, to convert a .doc attachment to .pdf users would simply email the file to pdf@zamzar.com.

Customers / User Privacy[]

Zamzar does not publish lists of customers that use their services, but in 2019 they announced[13] that Xerox Corporation would be using the Zamzar API to help power conversions in the Xerox Audio Document application. Users of Zamzar's services have access to both a Terms of Service document[14] and a Privacy Policy.[15] In April 2018 Zamzar announced[16] their compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and began offering a Data Processing Agreement (DPA), covering end user data rights and outlining Zamzar's contractual obligations to protect that data.[17]

User privilege levels[]

Zamzar is currently free to use, but there is a limit of two conversions per day. Users can pay a monthly subscription in order to access preferential features, such as unlimited file conversions, online file management, shorter response and queuing times and other benefits.[18]

Naming etymology[]

Its name comes from Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis. Its main character is called Gregor Samsa and it is from his surname that Zamzar is derived.[1][19] The founders of the service considered three other names – Konvertieren, Khamailen and Obrogo – before settling on Zamzar.[20]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Zhang, Michael, "Interview with Zamzar", Folksonomy, November 11, 2006 (archived version 2008)
  2. ^ Srivastava, Shivani (July 19, 2017). "Zamzar file converter: in-Depth Review". TechGYD.com. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  3. ^ "Word to PDF - Convert your DOC to PDF for Free Online". www.zamzar.com. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
  4. ^ "Zamzar - File Conversion API - About Us". developers.zamzar.com. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
  5. ^ "Zamzar - free online converter". www.zamzar.com. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
  6. ^ Lifehacker – Online file conversion with Zamzar
  7. ^ "Realtime File Conversions - Better, Faster, Stronger!". The Zamzar Blog. 2018-12-10. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
  8. ^ Team, The Zamzar (2015-01-26). "Announcing the file conversion API". The Zamzar Blog. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
  9. ^ "Zamzar - File Conversion API - Documentation". developers.zamzar.com. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
  10. ^ Bash Command Line Interface for the Zamzar API: convert files to 100s of formats direct from the command line. - zamzar/zamzar-bash, Zamzar, 2019-07-05, retrieved 2019-09-03
  11. ^ Fisher, Tim (June 11, 2018). "Zamzar Review". Lifewire.com. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  12. ^ Team, The Zamzar (2012-02-10). "Convert files by email". The Zamzar Blog. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
  13. ^ "Zamzar powers new Xerox "Audio Document" app". The Zamzar Blog. 2019-01-11. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
  14. ^ "Zamzar Terms of Service". Zamzar Terms of Service. 2018-11-26. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  15. ^ "Zamzar Privacy Policy". Zamzar Privacy Policy. 2020-09-16. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  16. ^ "Zamzar and GDPR". The Zamzar Blog. 2018-04-30. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  17. ^ "Zamzar Data Processing Agreement". Zamzar Data Processing Agreement. 2018-05-25. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  18. ^ "Convert file types - signup for Zamzar". Zamzar.com. Retrieved 2012-06-16.
  19. ^ 10 Worst App Names – PC Magazine
  20. ^ Team, The Zamzar (2019-07-12). "Landing on Zamzar: How we chose our company name". The Zamzar Blog. Retrieved 2019-09-03.

External links[]

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