Method and system for managing data in a communication network

A system for managing a plurality of files in a communication network, the communication network comprising a plurality of clients and at least one file of the plurality of files comprising one or more data segments, the system comprising:

• a. a receiver configured to:
• i. receive metadata associated with a file, wherein the file is stored in a virtual data drive of a first client of the plurality of clients, and wherein the file is a secured file;
• and
• ii. receive data segments associated with the file from the virtual data drive of the first client;
• b. a remote storage configured to store the metadata and data segments associated with the file;
• c. a processor configured to generate a first representation of the file based on the received metadata and data segments associated with the file;
• d. a sender configured to send a first representation of the file to the plurality of clients;
• e. the receiver further configured to receive a request from a second client of the plurality of clients for the at least one data segment of the file;
• f. a rights manager configured to authenticate the request based on a plurality of access rights, of a user of the second client;
• and
• g. the sender further configured to send at least one data segment of the file to the second client when the request is authenticated.

A computer program product for use with a computer, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein for managing a plurality of files in a communication network, the communication network comprising a plurality of clients and at least one file of the plurality of files comprising one or more data segments, the computer program code comprising:

• a. program instructions for receiving metadata associated with a file, wherein the file is stored in a virtual data drive of a first client of the plurality of clients;
• b. program instructions for receiving data segments associated with the file from the virtual data drive of the first client;
• c. program instructions for storing the metadata and data segments associated with the file;
• d. program instructions for generating a first representation of the file based on the received metadata and data segments associated with the file;
• e. program instructions for sending the first representation of the file to the plurality of clients;
• and
• f. program instructions for sending at least one data segment of the file to a second client of the plurality of clients based on a request received from the second client for the at least one data segment of the file.