Google Drive remote storage system proves to be a serious threat to competitors

The rumours are true – Google will be launching a cloud storage service, which will allows users to store up to 5 Gigabytes (GB) of files for free, or pay more for premium services with storage of up to 100 GB.

The service, known as Google Drive, will incorporate search capabilities and sophisticated image search technology to allow consumers to store pictures, notes, documents, and potentially even Adobe PDF files and photographs, remotely in the Google data centres rather than on their personal hard drives. The files will be accessible from any web-connected device, from desktop computers to smartphones and tablets.

So what does this mean for remote storage competitors? Popular service Dropbox, recently valued at $4billion, is upgrading its service accordingly, altering its settings so that users can now share files simply through an emailed link, rather than communal folders. Microsoft’s SkyDrive has also seen recent improvements, as users are now able to drag files into SkyDrive from their Windows 7 devices. It seems that to keep up with Google’s impressive new offering, all current providers will need to upgrade and streamline their services in order to remain competitive.

Remote storage systems have become increasingly popular in the last few years, and with the number of users constantly increasing, the launch of Google Drive is likely to have a huge impact on the market.