BitTorrent creator Bram Cohen has revealed plans to move the popular uTorrent app to a browser. The next revision of the app will run in users' default browser, and will include a revamped interface for a significantly improved streaming experience.
With around 150 million monthly active users, uTorrent remains the leader torrent sites client on the web.
However, despite the popularity of the application, the introduction of new features has stalled in recent years. In fact, some of the most important changes date back five years ago when uTorrent released the 3.0 version.
However, according to the BitTorrent creator and founder of BitTorrent Inc., Mr. Bram Cohen, this will change in the near future. In an interview with Steal This Show TorrentFreak podcast, which will be released this weekend, he promised some interesting updates for uTorrent and his own company.
First, BitTorrent Inc. is reportedly leaving a difficult period in which outsiders had the wheel and wasting millions of dollars. However, according to Cohen, things have changed and the company is returning to its upward course.
There are about 50 people working at BitTorrent Inc. at the moment, and the former CTO Ro Choy returned to the company and took the role of CEO.
In the future, the company will focus on products that have been proven to work, and one of them is uTorrent. Initially, the app was winning the most income by toolbar installs, but when web browsers started warning or even blocking these installations, they started distributing ads within the app, which is still the main source of revenue today.
“The plan is to consolidate the business and focus on profits. In fact we have the expertise in advertising, and to take advantage of that we will transfer it to other applications as well, ”says Cohen.
So while it is clear that the ads will continue to play an important role in the life of BitTorrent Inc. via uTorrent, there will be a major change. The future version of the application will run directly from the browser.
“We take the opportunity to truly refine our customer experience. So from the next uTorrent release the application will run in the user's default browser. A very beautiful experience, ”Cohen continues.
By moving uTorrent to browsers, developers will be able to use modern graphics and integrate a much more streamlined streaming experience, based on the new technology.
The new uTorrent will allow users to stream torrents directly from their browser, just like regular streaming sites.
Traditionally, end-users are much more conservative about major changes like the ones outlined above. But the Internet has changed quite a lot since UTorrent first released a decade ago. Most applications are now available in browsers and BitTorrent Inc. is convinced that the future of uTorrent is right there.
