What is OneDrive and OneDrive for Business?

Microsoft changed the name of its cloud-based free storage from SkyDrive to OneDrive. SkyDrive is built into Windows 8 and lets you store data, such as documents, photos, and videos, and documents. It gives you 7GB of space to store your data at no charge. OneDrive is the new name for SkyDrive.

For some reasons Microsoft pretends that they changed the name from SkyDrive to OneDrive because it suits better. Seriously? If you believe that then I’ve got a really nice bridge to sell you real cheap. The real reason has to do with a legal battle with satellite broadcaster BskyB that forced them to change the name.

OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) is built into all the latest versions of Windows, Windows Phone, Office, and Xbox. This means that you can make OneDrive your default storage location (like My Documents folder) and your data is securely stored in the cloud. You can access this data in the cloud from any computer connected to the Internet anywhere in the world. OneDrive works with iPads, iPhones, Androids, tablets, Macs, etc. As I mentioned earlier, by default  everyone using OneDrive gets 7GB of free data storage in the cloud.

OneDrive for Business

At the SharePoint conference this week Microsoft announced that on April 1, 2014 they will launch a standalone version of OneDrive for Business. Basically, OneDrive for Business is an extension to the free OneDrive for individuals. For $5 per user per month you will get 25GB of storage space per user and you can buy more if needed. This will allow business employees to store, sync, and securely collaborate on files across multiple devices. Just so you know, OneDrive for Business used to be called “SkyDrive Pro.”