Google Drive Rumors Flare Up Again
For years people have speculated that Google would use some of its incredible capacity to offer dedicated online data storage, something like a "Google Drive." Hints that such a project is in the works have popped up time and again, but some interesting new ones have emerged lately.
Why would you like a Google Drive service? For the presumably very low price point (free?), for the ease of backing up important data or for the potential integration of stored data into other powerful Google services? There's lots of reasons to perk up your ears when rumors like this pop up.
Greg Sterling sums up the latest rumors on Search Engine Land this morning. He points to two other recent stories that offer hope that GDrive is real.
GMail As Possible Home for GDrive
Gmail Product Manager Todd Jackson told Webware last week that:
"We know people's file sizes are getting bigger. They want to share their files, keep them in the cloud, and not worry about which computer they're on. Google wants to be solving these problems."
That's all well and good, and we know that Gmail already does a lot of storage. It could be the home from which a GDrive is spun out. But is there anything more solid than that?
Picassa Hints
Sterling also points to coverage last night on Google watchdog site Google Blogoscoped where a screenshot from Picassa offers the option to upload photos to "Google Web Drive." The conversation in comments on that post is quite interesting, as well, including a mention of what looks to us like a possible placeholder for storing photo albums in Google Docs and a mock-up screenshot of what one Blogoscoped reader thinks the GDrive product could look like.
Security Concerns
For as long as Google has been rumored to be building a GDrive product, there have been concerns about how solid the company's control over user data security is. From all too common cases of "oops, your GMail account vanished" to more than one of the company's own official blogs being hacked, there's something a little worrisome about the security of a Google Drive.
Just as important a set of concerns though could be around Google's incredible control over so much of our data already. The company has its fingers in so many pies that it's hard to believe it warrants more trust, just on principle.
It's a vexing situation. The potential awesomeness of Google services is incredible. The actual delivered value of new services is often disappointing. The company has committed relatively few offenses against propriety with its incredible power (China notwithstanding) but the potential for abuse is incredible.
Do you want a Google Drive? Do you believe one's really coming? What would you like it to do?
Share
Comments
Subscribe to comments for this post OR Subscribe to comments for all ReadWriteWeb posts
I for one welcome our new Google overlords ...ok, not really.
I'd be all for using a gDrive product, but I certainly wouldn't store anything even remotely sensitive in it. If they can nail the desktop to cloud interaction I'd use it in a heart beat. Right now I
The Firefox plugin Gspace offers an ftp-like interface to your unused Gmail space, right now.
Not only is security a concern but the way in which data is aggregated & used for profit-seeking raises a basic question ignored here - why not make sure there is proper attribution to users & make it possible for said users to benefit when their "drive" is accessed & used for Google's business.
This is the same Google which is lobbying to restrict inventor rights & has changed it's tune on Net Neutrality practically overnight ... This is also the same company that makes protecting your data a bit too abstract to be of real utility ... And their core profit making is from advertising - looking more & more like they want dibs on transactional events as well.
It is a challenge for all of us to delve deeper into how to balance privacy with piracy - not just a "trust" issue ...
Those concerned about security should also never send important attachments using GMail. Let's face it: many of your secrets probably reside in your email and if you use GMail already the additional risks by a GDrive are not that large.
I'd probably use it for archiving old old movies and pics, that I almost never look at/use but want to keep a copy of. I have a 500G drive that's just about full, and I'm kind of lax about wanting to go buy a second one.
As an ardent Google Apps user I've love a GDrive!
Everything is own internet. Waiting for the day when we have a pc which doesn't need any software except web browser.
Lets hope this happens.
This is really going to be a hard one for Google. while they got a huge lot of resources. this could pretty much prove to consume even more bandwidth and resources than Gmail, Gtalk and Google docs combined. it would only be second to YouTube in that regard. and YouTube has not produced a dime of profit yet. totally the opposite. it is still losing money.
So my guess is that Google knows that very well and it is the only reason why we have not seen a Gdrive yet. but even if it ships this year. it will be quite hard to outrace Skydrive with its 25gb of Free storage....