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Microsoft started the year with a move that proved to be followed by many other changes, in particular, I’m referring to its January announcement... Microsoft’s OneDrive Released with Free Storage

Microsoft started the year with a move that proved to be followed by many other changes, in particular, I’m referring to its January announcement that its cloud storage service SkyDrive would be rebranded to OneDrive. While I personally think there is nothing wrong with the SkyDrive branding, Microsoft ran into a trademark dispute with BSkyB, hence the need for rebranding.

SkyDrive

Yesterday, Microsoft made the switch to OneDrive official, with the original 7GB of free storage still in effect. That may not be enough for power users, but there is something else to sweeten the deal: the ability to gain more storage without laying out cash:

Customers who refer friends can now receive up to 5 GB (in 500 MB increments) for each friend who accepts an invitation to OneDrive, and we’ll even give you 3 GB just for using the camera backup feature, since we want to help make sure you never lose another photo.

It’s not much different from what other similar services offer, and it does work. I know some people who have around 60GB (maybe more) of storage on Dropbox, for example, just because of those perks.

Why choose OneDrive over all the other services available? OneDrive is perhaps the most suitable cloud storage service for people who already rely on Microsoft services, and this is what the company is banking on. It has built in OneDrive into the latest Windows version, Windows Phone, Office, as well as Xbox. So yeah, if you’re already using these, then it makes sense to go for OneDrive.

Users of other platforms – Android, iOS, and Mac for example – are not excluded as well, as OneDrive is available.

Here’s even more to entice you: Microsoft is giving away 100 GB of free storage for 1 year – to 100,000 people!!! That’s more than enough reason to give OneDrive a go, I think. The odds may not be favorable, but if you want to give it a try, follow @OneDrive anyway.

[Image via OneDrive Blog]