The Wall Street Journal published yesterday an article on the intentions of Google to offer Internet-based storage services. The acronym ‘SaaS’ originally referring to the concept of Software as a Service, lately is increasingly used as Storage as a Service.
Google of course is already offering Internet-based storage services with Gmail, with the Docs, Spreadsheets and Presentations online applications and with Picasa online photo-hosting services. The next step for Google is now moving toward being able to "store 100% of user data”! Potential names linked to this service like MyStuff and GDrive have already been mentioned.
Maybe one day PC’s will be nothing else than web-connecting devices with almost no software neither hard-discs. Everyone will have a secured account online with his applications and stored content. Two conditions: high-speed Internet connections and global connectivity!
Google of course is still facing few important challenges, like the issues with privacy and copyright.
Let’s see how Microsoft reacts…
David
1 comment:
Hi David, Microsoft has already launched Microsoft Live which seems to offer something like online storage. However this is only available in the US at the moment. There is a Microsoft Live offering in Europe, but this is now only targeted to consumers for creating a personal space with their pictures and so on. Obviously you would need to have Office applications to open the documents stored with MS Live. This is one of the big differences with Google Docs, where you would use online Google Apps. ANother difference is that with MS Live, you would be able to store documents in folders, so that you give other access to a folder including all docs in it. With Google, you can only share individual documents and you would need to share every doc separately.
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