While there are a variety of services out there that have solutions for file sharing across the internet, a majority of people still share files via E-mail. And as bandwidth availability has increased, so has the limitations in place on mailservers; albeit at a scattered pace. Still, sharing small files like pictures or documents via e-mail generally works out and is more or less seamless. But when you start trying to share larger files, it can become problematic. Luckily for Zimbra users, you can use the briefcase feature to share large files with anyone that can download files from their web browser (everyone)

Interested? here’s how…

We’re going to create a folder in our zimbra briefcase where we can upload files to and share with anyone who has a web browser. People who know your public folder name will be able to see whats inside it, so Zimbra offers the ability to password protect access to each shared folder, and grant access on a per user (or per group, if you choose to send the login info to multiple users) basis to control who can see what. If you are sharing the folder with other zimbra users (such as within your organization) you can also allow them to upload and edit the contents of the share for collaborative purposes. For this how-to though, we’re going to be making a “Public” shared folder in order to share a large but important file with a few of our colleagues at various companies.

1. First we login to our zimbra client interface (desktop or web)
2. Then we go to our Zimbra Briefcase™
3. Now we right click on our briefcase folder and create a new folder called “Public” and select a color.  I opted to make mine Pink.
4. we right click on our newly created folder and select the “Share Folder” option 
5. We’re going to select “Public” and then click ‘ok’
6. With the Public folder highlighted, we’ll select the “Upload File” option in the viewer pane and choose the important file from our computer that we need to share. (You can click the “Add” link to optionally upload multiple files at once.)
7. With the file now uploaded to our Public folder, we’ll right click on it and select “Send Links” (you can select multiple files and then right click if you wish to send multiple links)
8. Now we can enter the recipients, set our Priority, and enter a message to send along with the link.

Remember to keep the contents of your briefcase tidy – files uploaded are included in your mail disk quota, if setup on your account. Should you need help, we’re here