SkyDrive (Personal Cloud Storage)
SkyDrive is a personal cloud storage service from Microsoft that enables customers to store, synchronize and access their files across Windows PC and Mac OS X computers and laptops as well as mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, including Windows Phone 7 and 8 devices and Apple iOS-powered iPhones and iPads.
Syncing Files and Documents on SkyDrive
SkyDrive is most frequently used for syncing documents and files created with Microsoft products like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. SkyDrive additionally enables users to remotely access their PC (as long as the computer is turned on) via SkyDrive.com and a SkyDrive desktop client.
SkyDrive will also be a critical component of the upcoming Office 2013 release, with the new office suite saving documents directly to SkyDrive by default, enabling users to access their Office files across a variety of devices. Users will also have the option of saving their documents locally or offline and then have them sync with SkyDrive upon going online again.
Competing Personal Cloud Services
While competing personal cloud services from Apple (iCloud) and Google (Google Drive) provide users with an initial 5GB of cloud storage for free, SkyDrive offers up to 7GB of cloud storage for free. Additional storage capacity is available for purchase on a yearly basis — currently 20GB for $10 per year, 50GB for $25 per year and 100GB for $50 per year.
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