Berlin - Google has entered the world of online storage with the introduction of Google Drive, but the US internet giant is just one of many companies offering the free service.
Internet users should not store all their files with one just provider, Michaela Zinke from the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) recommends.
“A company like Google can create a detailed profile of its customers with information from the various services,” Zinke said.
Users of Google Drive have 5 gigabytes (GB) of storage available, with those wanting more space being able to purchase more.
Software for easier administration is available for Windows PCs, Mac computers and Android smartphones and tablets. An app for iPhones and iPads is to follow soon.
Google Docs will be integrated into the new offer.
Microsoft in April announced its own Cloud service programme called SkyDrive, which is currently only available in a Beta version. SkyDrive users have up to 7 GB of storage available.
Competitor Dropbox offers 2 GB, with the company also providing administrative software for PCs and mobile devices. The service allows users to send friends and acquaintances links to individual files, and also to share videos with larger groups of people.
Users of online storage services should take precautions in choosing where to store files. With US companies, for example, it's possible that US security officials can gain access to the files.
“I would principally not save many or, better yet, any sensitive files on cloud services,” said Zinke.
Included in that are documents containing personal information. - Sapa-dpa