Windows 8 to include cloud data storage app

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The new Windows 8 operating system will include a file-sharing app called SkyDrive that will allow users to link files across multiple devices and share those files with others.

On Monday, Microsoft announced in a blog post that the SkyDrive app will be fully integrated into its but-to-be-released Windows 8 operating system. The app will compete with Dropbox and Google docs and will function similarly to Apple's iCloud, all of which allow file-sharing among devices.

In the blog, Microsoft claimed to have 17 million SkyDrive clients utilizing this resource, a number it hopes to grow with the upcoming release of Windows 8.

SkyDrive will as well run on Windows Vista and Windows 7, and will support uploading files up to 2 GB through Explorer. It includes a remote PC option that allows access to files on one computer from another, with the use of a security code.

Brief introduction to the SkyDrive blog

In a brief introduction to the SkyDrive blog, Windows President Steven Sinofsky wrote: "As we developed Windows 8, we thought deeply about how these services can take an moreover active role in completing the experience - offering a cloud service for each and every Windows 8 customer and all their PCs, should you choose to use it."

Emily Parkhurst covers research for TechFlash and the Puget Sound Business Journal. She can be reached at 206-876-5441 or eparkhurst@bizjournals.com. Follow her on Twitter: @emilyparkhurst.

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