Google Now Offering 15GB Free Cloud Storage

Looking for more storage space in the cloud? Then look to Google Drive, which now offers 15 gigabytes (GB) for free.

Until now, Google has been offering users of its Google Drive cloud storage service 5GB for free. However, the company now says it will combine its Google Drive service with Gmail and Google+ Photos and give users access to 15GB free storage.

Google Drive director of product management Clay Bavor says that consumers will no longer have to stress about freeing up space for more files.

"Use Your Storage The Way You Want"

"With this new combined storage space, you won't have to worry about how much you're storing and where," Bavor said. (Source: pcmag.com)

"For example, maybe you're a heavy Gmail user but light on photos, or perhaps you were bumping up against your Drive storage limit but were only using 2 GB in Gmail. Now it doesn't matter, because you can use your storage the way you want," he added.

Google launched Google Drive last year. Since then, it has competed with other cloud storage services, including DropBox, Apple's iCloud, and Microsoft's SkyDrive (which is now highly integrated with the firm's Windows 8 operating system).

Beyond those more prominent services, there are also smaller and more specialized cloud storage options, including SugarSync, Box, and YouSendIt.

Google Ups the Ante

Google Drive's new 15GB limit puts it in a position to leech customers from those other services. After all, DropBox only offers 2GB free storage space, while Microsoft SkyDrive users gain access to 7GB free space.

To access more storage space, users must pay for a subscription. For example, DropBox users face a $99 per year fee if they want 50GB of storage space.

Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg believes Google Drive's new storage limit will put a lot of pressure on smaller cloud storage services.

"[Average consumers] don't have much of a relationship with these smaller [cloud] companies," Gartenberg said. (Source: computerworld.com)

"The challenge for these smaller companies is reaching out to consumers or shifting to somewhat of a different market; the problem is that Google also wants the business market, the small business market and ultimately the enterprise IT market."