Google Plans Service to Store Data

Google plans to begin an online storage service that could have profound implications, if implemented well. It could potentially make a major shift towards online applications and a big shot across the bow of Microsoft.

Google is preparing a service that would let users store on its computers essentially all of the files they might keep on their personal-computer hard drives -- such as word-processing documents, digital music, video clips and images, say people familiar with the matter. The service could let users access their files via the Internet from different computers and mobile devices when they sign on with a password, and share them online with friends. It could be released as early as a few months from now, one of the people said.

The effort -- at one point known internally at Google as "My Stuff" -- could add to the challenges facing Microsoft's core Windows operating system and Office productivity software businesses by speeding a shift toward Web-based computing. It also has the potential to affect the economics and usage of home computers, lessening consumers' need to buy big hard drives to store and back up all of their files, for example.

One limitation of such an Internet-based storage service is that it isn't accessible when a person's computer or phone is offline, such as when one is in an airplane, though he could still copy required files to the laptop or other device before disconnecting from the Internet.

For Google, one advantage of offering a broad data-storage service would be to potentially draw consumers to existing Google services that compete with Microsoft's Office applications suite, which includes Word, Outlook and Excel.

If Google could make a seamless integration to allow automatic synching between desktop and online data and apps that can run off of a disconnected desktop, this could mean major moves away from operating system-centric computing -- running equally well on Windows, Macintosh, and Linux machines. I love the thought of being able to move from computer to computer and have my data and applications follow me.

With USB drives and online apps, we're already taking major steps in this direction. As one who has experienced some major computer issues over the past 2 years, I see this as a very welcome change indeed.

(HT Lifehacker)