SkyDrive: Microsoft's integrated Windows 8 Storage Service

Reading one of my regular feeds (Windows Team Blog) earlier this week, I came across some great posts relating to how Windows 8 will integrate (Mesh?) with Microsoft SkyDrive.

I love these postings, as they provide some real gems of Microsoft's core vision on how things will "work" with Windows 8. For example, Microsoft has neatly organised the Cloud into three basic functionality clusters or groups;

1) File Clouds: which in MS terms is "A file-centric view of cloud storage presents your information to you in a traditional file and folder based metaphor."

2) Device Clouds: Which references Apple's iCloud as a great example and is defined as; "A device-centric view of cloud storage "hides" the folders from you. "

3) App Clouds: And, "App Clouds not only remove the need (and ability) to pay attention to individual files, but they can also redefine traditional notions of personal ownership."

This is a great way to begin to break down the rather amorphous usage of clouds right now. The usage of "Cloud" as term now means pretty much anything on the internet and is close to be useless.  So, I am leaning to my own definition of the "Cloud": 

     Cloud : "refers to an internet based service or functionality that is user-specific and is provider, device and location agnostic". 

Pretty generic, eh? Well, so is cloud.

These posts continue with some great introductions to Microsoft's SkyDrive, specifically outlining the core drivers for the design of SkyDrive, including; 

• No copying files from one cloud to another just to share or collaborate. 
• No converting files or having to switch to new apps. 
• No searching across different storage areas to find files.

Mike Torres and Omar Shahine explain, that with Windows 8

"All you need to do is register your email address on a PC that’s running Windows 8 and then, whenever you save files on SkyDrive, every Windows 8 device you use will provide seamless access to those files. For app developers, this means that, so long as your app supports opening and saving documents and photos, it will automatically support SkyDrive without any additional work."

So, here's a thought. What's going to happen to Dropbox?

For further reading, look here: 

SkyDrive - designing personal cloud storage for billions of people

http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_live/b/windowslive/archive/2011/11/22/skydrive-designing-personal-cloud-storage-for-billions-of-people.aspx

Extending "Windows 8" apps to the cloud with SkyDrive

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/09/28/extending-quot-windows-8-quot-apps-to-the-cloud-with-skydrive.aspx

Connecting your apps, files, PCs and devices to the cloud with SkyDrive and Windows 8

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/02/20/connecting-your-apps_2C00_-files_2C00_-pcs-and-devices-to-the-cloud-with-skydrive-and-windows-8.aspx