Microsoft Upgrades SkyDrive after Apple Announces iCloud

By

Not wanting to be outdone by Apple’s recent announcement of iCloud, Microsoft has upgraded its SkyDrive service.

With the improvements, SkyDrive can operate quicker, navigates easier and now uses HTML5. SkyDrive also looks better and ads were taken off the main page. It will soon be available for use.

SkyDrive stores photos, documents and spreadsheets, according to The Seattle Times. The newspaper adds that this compares to iCloud, which stores music, calendar items and messages.

“SkyDrive has been around since 2007 and was simply not built for the modern web,” Omar Shahine, group program manager for SkyDrive.com, said in a recent blog post.

It’s not that SkyDrive was bypassed by users in its older form. More than 100 million people used SkyDrive on the web, Shahine said.

But Microsoft concluded that more needed to be done. For example, time spent on clicking folders and navigating photo albums will be decreased from 6-9 seconds to 100-300 milliseconds.

With HTML5, SkyDrive can also employ HTML5 Video and CSS3. More improvements are forthcoming.

“There are parts of the experience like creating a new album, uploading, renaming files, sharing, and editing permissions that are also scheduled to get a makeover soon,” Shahine said.

A recent review in PC World looks forward to seeing the planned improvements but welcomed some of those already put in place by Microsoft.

“It doesn't feel like a radical modernization of the service as it stood, but it does sport a bunch of improvements that are nicely done,” said PC World.

The review noted improvements for photo viewing in the upgraded SkyDrive.

“It has very nice support for photos, with cool thumbnails that are smart enough to handle odd-sized pictures such as panoramas well, infinite scrolling, and HTML5-based slideshows that are speedy and fun,” PC World added.

Apple’s iCloud was announced during the Worldwide Developers Conference held earlier this month, TechZone360 said.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. ITEXPO offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.


Ed Silverstein is a TechZone360 contributor. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell
Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. [Free eNews Subscription]

TechZone360 Contributor

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Related Articles

How to Protect Your Website From LDAP Injection Attacks

By: Contributing Writer    3/12/2024

Prevent LDAP injection attacks with regular testing, limiting access privileges, sanitizing user input, and applying the proper encoding functions.

Read More

Azure Cost Optimization: 5 Things You Can Do to Save on Azure

By: Contributing Writer    3/7/2024

Azure cost optimization is the process of managing and reducing the overall cost of using Azure. It involves understanding the resources you're using,…

Read More

Massive Meta Apps and Services Outage Impacts Users Worldwide

By: Alex Passett    3/5/2024

Meta's suite of apps and services are experiencing major global outages on Super Tuesday 2024.

Read More

The Role of Technology in Shaping the Future of Affiliate Marketing

By: Contributing Writer    3/5/2024

In the current rapidly growing digital world, affiliate marketing is still one of the most effective ways for businesses to increase their visibility …

Read More

The Steps You Can Take To Improve Customer Service For Your Business

By: Contributing Writer    3/5/2024

When you're in a competitive market, providing exceptional customer service is crucial for the success and growth of your business. Good customer serv…

Read More