Recently on March 29, 2011 Amazon.com introduced a new feature called the Amazon Cloud Drive. Amazon’s newest business venture is an online storage center that offers Amazon customers a free 5 gigabytes (GB) of online storage space with the option to purchase additional space if needed. Online storage and backup systems have been gaining popularity over the past several years because they enable users to conserve precious hard drive space, provide the option to access data from multiple locations, and limit the need to purchase external hard drives.
Amazon Tag Cloud
from www.amazon.com April 2011
Although it is not the first type of online storage product offered by Amazon, the first being Amazon Simple Storage System (S3), it seems that the Amazon Cloud Drive was the next logical step. Amazon S3 is an online storage that is more geared towards large developers who need to share resources, access information from multiple locations, and store information in a secure online infrastructure. The Cloud drive offers the same storage and sharing power however the system is more focused on the individual everyday user.
The Cloud Drive is a great new feature offered to all Amazon customers that can be very helpful for users who either do not have room on their hard drives, want to backup files or want to have an online and centralized sharing system for their files. With the Amazon Cloud Drive users can easily upload audio, video, document, and photo files to a secure location within the Amazon.com cloud infrastructure. Even though this product is meant for individual users it can be a great tool for small businesses that need to conserve hard drive space, access files from various locations, allow multiple users access using the same login, and ensure that they have the space for other more important files on their hard drives.
Each Cloud Drive user has the option to utilize the 5GB storage plan for free and also has the option to upgrade their storage space for $1 per GB.
The Amazon Cloud Drive offers storage space plans that include:
- 5GB for free
- 20 GB for $20 a year
- 50GB for $50 a year
- 100GB for $100 a year
- 200GB for $200 a year
- 500GB for $500 a year
- 1000GB for $1,000 a year
It is also worth mentioning that when a user purchases an online music album they are given a 20GB free account for a year as opposed to only 5GB. Once the year ends Amazon will modify the user account to the original 5GB unless the user decides to purchase the $20 option. Additionally when a user makes a purchase for a video or audio digital download it is automatically stored within the users Cloud Drive. These files are playable using Amazons Cloud Player that comes free with the Cloud Drive account.
The Basic Features of Amazon Cloud Drive:
- Upload your music, movies, documents, and photos from any location using your secure Amazon login
- Purchase and download a file directly to your Cloud account
- Organize your files with the option to move files, create folders, copy files, rename files, delete files and recover deleted items
- File search allows users to search their entire cloud drive
- Users can access their files from any computer or Android device that has an Internet connection.
In conclusion the Amazon Cloud Drive is a helpful resource whether you choose to utilize the free option or pay for additional space. This feature is ideal to save space on your computer and is extremely convenient for any necessary offsite access.
Keep your computer running fast by preserving important hard drive space and learn more by trying out the Amazon Cloud Drive for free at Get Started, Amazon Cloud Drive.
Have a Great Day!
Dustin
Providing Tech Support for Businesses in Maryland
Tags: amazon, cloud, cloud drive, drive, files, hard drive, space, storage
