What are Online Storage Services? The definition of online storage services can be vast just like the features provided by these online storage services. But, almost all of these services allows its users to upload files and download files later (that is to take backup of files) and allow users to share their files with others.

Online storage services are getting very popular for a number of reasons. Online storage services range from simple picture hosting where people can upload their images and share them with other users on the internet to the more sophisticated ones which almost give virtual operating system like features to these services.  Many of them provide the basic service which contains certain GB as free and has more advanced features as a paid service with a greater volume of storage area.

There has been a slur of online storage services with a larger number of users sharing content and the demand for user generated content getting larger and louder. Online storage services can be used for several purposes and their use can be as varied as the nature of these services. People have known to use these services for storing adult images and video files and sharing these files on various forums and blogs to sharing project documentations and files. The features offered by online storage services are various and they are bound to improve in the days to come due to cut throat competition in this sector.

Some of the features provided by Online Storage services are as follows:

  • Ability of users to upload and download of files(i.e. take backup)
  • Share the files uploaded by the users with other users and have features like commenting and messaging incorporated in these files.
  • Mobile access to your user account from your mobile browser. You can access your files, download them as well as upload files from your mobile phones to your online account.
  • Many of the online storage services provide a encrypted link to share a folder or a group of files. You can give this link to someone whom you want to see your files.
  • Some online storage services also provide ability to create flash based widgets which can be used to display files on your blog, website or social networking site profiles like MySpace.
  • Some of these services provide software which should be installed on your computer. The use of this software varies. Some services require this software to do basic things like upload files where as some of them require these software for advanced features while the basic things are browser based.

Just as the advantages provided by these services there are several concerns relating to these services as well especially with respect to copyright and distribution of legal content. Most of the services, in their Terms and Services have a clause that the uploaded is responsible for all the content uploaded and have a “report abuse” system which of course is community based monitoring.

Hence, in the following posts I will be covering some of the online storage services from the very basic ones to the more sophisticated ones and I will be writing reviews of all of those services that I use.