Google confirms today’s launch of Google Drive cloud storage service

Google's Drive cloud service has just been officially launched which gives up to 5GBs of free cloud storage and an array of helpful sharing and collaboration features. However, while Google's fresh blog posting makes it clear today is the official introduction, it is yet to allow for new sign-ups via the official Google Drive website. We presume the gate to its cloud service will be opened within the next 5-7 hours for all and sundry.

“Today, we’re introducing Google Drive—a place where you can create, share, collaborate, and keep all of your stuff. Whether you’re working with a friend on a joint research project, planning a wedding with your fiancé or tracking a budget with roommates, you can do it in Drive. You can upload and access all of your files, including videos, photos, Google Docs, PDFs and beyond.”

The new service will be available for Windows, OS X and Android straight out the gate, with iOS software support “coming soon”. The 5GBs of free storage can be supplemented via monthly payments, with 25GB costing US $2.49 a month and 100GB at US $4.99 a month. There's also the option to shell out US $49.99 for a beefy terabyte of capacity.

Google Drive will be a lot more than just a basic form of cloud storage however, as detailed via Google's official blog posting :-

Create and collaborate. Google Docs is built right into Google Drive, so you can work with others in real time on documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Once you choose to share content with others, you can add and reply to comments on anything (PDF, image, video file, etc.) and receive notifications when other people comment on shared items.

Store everything safely and access it anywhere (especially while on the go). All your stuff is just… there. You can access your stuff from anywhere—on the web, in your home, at the office, while running errands and from all of your devices. You can install Drive on your Mac or PC and can download the Drive app to your Android phone or tablet. We’re also working hard on a Drive app for your iOS devices. And regardless of platform, blind users can access Drive with a screen reader.

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