Le Figaro likes online storage

June 20, 2008

Le Figaro.fr (one of the major french information website which is also one of the major daily newspaper) posted a very interesting article about online storage which is heavily using Steek’s customer implementation:

The article’s title is “Save and share your data online”(which is almost the claim of our SteekR product) and Le Figaro points out that now ISP are more and more pushing online storage to their customers to make their digital life easier. Le Figaro points out also the fact that Steek technology includes PC and Mac client that are one of the reason why our product are so successful and used by the end-customer.

Below the translation in English of the original article in French!

Upload and share your data online

Didier Sanz
18/06/2008 | Update: 11:08

NeufCegetel offers 9GB to its subscribers to back up and share their files.

Benefit from online services to remotely back up, share and retrieve pictures, videos, music… And to relieve your computer.

How to transmit large files which the electronic mailer obstinately refuses to convey? How to simply share pictures and videos with friends online ? What are the available means to upload and recover remote documents? Until now, it was necessary to subscribe to specialized sites like xdrive.com or orbitfiles.com to be able to store and possibly share large files. Or to use the storage space offered by one’s Internet Service Provider to create a Web site or to divert the basic functions of a mailer like Gmail.

Nowadays, online storage and sharing services are proliferating on the Internet, ISPs are even making it an additional sales argument. NeufCegetel has been one of the first to offer this type of service to its customers. Called “NeufGiga” and reserved to the 100% NeufBox subscribers, it consists of a 9GB storage space which makes it possible to remotely back up, share and access all types of data: pictures, videos, documents, etc. Once files are stored online, the account holder selects which ones he/she wants to share. He/she then selects recipient(s) and adds a message (optional). Recipients will receive an email featuring an encrypted link enabling them to access and download the selected files. Audio and video files can be streamed online without necessarily downloading them. On top of that, Neuf provides a software for Mac and Windows to sync files between the computer and the online storage space. It is even possible to leave shared folders open to identified recipients so that they drop their own files in there. In this case, a message is sent to the account holder to inform him/her of the operation. To be noted, Neuf MaxiADSL offer subscribers can benefit from this service for an additional charge of 3,90 €.

A space of 10 GB

At Alice, a service called “Alice Back-Up” is offered in the form of an option to subscribers at a charge of 5 € per month, but it only allows to remotely back up data and not to share them. It offers a secured and unlimited storage space: it is possible to back up the whole hard disk drive, including videos, pictures, music, etc. Free, the ISP arm of Iliad, carries a 10 GB storage space theoretically reserved to host webpages, but which can be used to store and possibly share files…when technically proficient. On the other hand, its dl.free.fr service for files exchanges makes it possible to very simply send too large files to be dispatched by email. The files are saved for a thirty day renewable period if they have been downloaded in the meanwhile.

As for Orange, it is about to launch the “My data” service which will provide to its subscribers a free 2 or 4 GB online storage space to upload pictures, videos, music or other types of documents. Files can be retrieved from anywhere and be shared with friends or family. This service will be available to Orange Internet subscribers as well as to Orange Mobile customers. The Orange “one-stop-shop” customers who subscribe to both services, will be offered a 4 GB storage space. Once the service is activated on http://mesdonnees.orange.fr, simply go to Orange website homepage and log in. One can then import and export files and move them in folders. Orange will also propose an application for Windows making it possible to manage the storage space as an external hard disk drive. This space will also give access to other services such as the Orange online backup, the photo-album, the address book and the mailer : it will be easy to transfer pictures, invite a contact to look at stored files, store emails or select a document to send it as an attachment. Mobile users will be able to transfer pictures and videos to it via MMS.

Public access and limited access

If you use Windows, you can store, share and retrieve up to 5 GB of online data by using the free Windows Live SkyDrive service. Only requirement: to have a Windows Live account. Go to www.windowslive.fr/skydrive. If you already have a Hotmail, MSN Messenger or Passport account, your user login will enable you to access directly your SkyDrive space. If not, sign up to obtain an account. Once the account validated or created, you can store files in personal folders or share documents by moving them to folders to be shared. Beware: only people who have a Windows Live account will be allowed to read them or modify them depending on authorization you will grant. Authorized contacts will then receive a message enabling them to access shared folders. To enable files to be consulted by all net surfers, it is necessary to transfer them into public folders. In addition, you can create sub-folders and name them as it pleases you. Click on the name of the file in which you want to store files, then click on the “add files” button before selecting them in your computer. The size of a file is limited to 50 MB. Note that you can then rename, delete or change shared documents authorizations your storage space.
Lastly, voila.fr recently launched a storage and file sharing service. You connect to www.voila.fr/macle, fill in the form and you will have a free 1 GB storage space where to store your pictures, videos, audio files and other documents. You can access this storage space from anywhere and share its content with friends and family. The interface is particularly well designed, with a folder for each type of content and the possibility to transfer files from the PC to the online storage space via a simple drag-and-drop.

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