'Google Drive' May Launch as Rebranded Version of Google Docs
September 26, 2011
By Beecher Tuttle, TMCnet Contributor
Google (News - Alert) Drive, an oft-rumored cloud-based hard drive for syncing files, may soon make its official debut as a rebranded version of Google Docs.
Proof of the long-awaited offering comes from blogger and social media consultant Johannes Wigand, who snapped a (relatively blurry) screenshot at a Google-sponsored event that shows Drive replacing Docs on the home URL.
TechCrunch has since verified the existence of Google Drive, and has said that the company currently uses the Web-based file hosting service internally. A consumer-based version may roll out soon, although no specific timetable has been set.
For Docs users, the launch of Google Drive won’t change much. Google Docs currently boasts much of the same functionality that was said to be included in Drive before the company killed it off in 2008. Since then, Docs has become an online storage site for more than just documents. Users can now leverage Docs to store and share images, videos, PDF files and presentations.
The problem is that most users don’t know this. Rebranding Docs as Google Drive – or GDrive – should change the way that people think about the service and may encourage users to move on from paid hosting platforms like Dropbox (News - Alert) and Box.Net.
TechCrunch says that the only major addition to GDrive will be native syncing software that enables users to move documents from one computer or mobile device to another through a simple drag-and-drop system.
The launch of Google Drive, while similar to Docs, could spell bad news for Dropbox, Box.Net and other competitors in the file sharing space. Although Google’s pricing will probably be in line with its rivals, the sheer convenience of accessing files through the same domain as your email should give Google a leg up in the competition. The name recognition can’t hurt things either.
Currently, Dropbox offers free storage up to 2GB, and then an additional 50GB for $10 per month. Box.net has the same pay model, but offers 5GB of free storage. Currently, Google Docs provides only 1GB of free storage and has users pay $5 for each additional 20GB.
Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Jennifer Russell