Google Cloud Storage is one of the best cloud storage providers for users who want to be able to access their files and documents between computers and devices. The service has lots of options and price-levels that allow you to find the combination that will fit your needs. Businesses large and small as well as individuals can safely store their data and share it between employees. Google Cloud Storage includes high performance and a lot of storage space as well as advanced security when sharing with others. Individual users can access Google Drive as a month-to-month service in which they pay per gigabyte and with the bandwidth transfer fee. Obviously Google has a very solid reputation and their cloud storage services don’t deviate from that great service. We’ll break down the ways you can use Google’s storage here.
Google Cloud Storage
Google Cloud Storage includes:
- High capacity and scalability, or the ability to handle a growing amount of work
- Strong data consistency in which uploaded information is available for download immediately
- OAuth 2.0 authentication for interaction with the API
- Cookie-based authenticated browser downloads to Google account holders
- Google APIs Console Projects in which members can be added, billing is handled, and authentication is managed.
- REST API with simple HTTP methods to create applications
- Ability to store information in buckets anywhere in Europe or the United States.
Cost of Google Cloud Storage
Google Cloud Storage offers a free Trial Quota until June 30, 2013 applicable toward the first project using the service. It gives free usage of resources within a project up to:
Google Cloud Storage; gives free usage of resources within project up to:
- 5 GB storage
- 25 GB download data
- 25 GB upload data
- 30,000 GET, HEAD requests
- 3,000 PUT POST, GET bucket, GET service requests
The following storage pricing are per GB per month effective December 1, 2012:
- First 0-1 TB: $0.085 for standard storage, $0.063 for durable reduced availability storage
- Next 9 TB: $0.076 for standard storage, $0.054 for durable reduced availability storage
- Next 90 TB: $0.067 for standard storage, $0.049 for durable reduced availability storage
- Next 400 TB: $0.063 for standard storage, $0.045 for durable reduced availability storage
- Next 4500 TB: $0.054 for standard storage, $0.042 for durable reduced availability storage
Network Fees Each Month:
- $0.12 per GB for the first 1TB Network (Egress) EMEA
- $0.21 per GB for the first 1TB Network (Egress) Pacific
- free with Network (Ingress)
Benefits of Google Cloud Storage
Google is known for web search, which is why they can continue with fast data access. They also provide users with a reliable infrastructure and unlimited storage, a feature that many of the smaller cloud providers cannot match. Businesses can save on IT infrastructure costs by storing their data with Google.
Pros of Google Cloud Storage
- Lots of storage
- Google Drive is compatible with devices from PCs and Macs as well as Android and iOS
- Keeps every version of folders and files for 30 days or 100 revisions
- Search with OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and image recognition
Google Drive
Google Drive provides users with:
- Google-powered search capabilities
- integration of Google services such as Docs and Google+
- the ability to sync documents with other devices that have installed Google Drive
Cost of Google Drive
Google Drive offers free 5GB free online storage or pay for more per month; i.e. 25GB for $2.50 per month up to 16 TB for $799 per month.
Pros
- Lots of storage
- Google Drive is compatible with devices from PCs and Macs as well as Android and iOS
- Individuals and small companies that want to locate and sync files and documents with integrated software have that option with Google Drive, Docs, and Gmail
- Keeps every version of folders and files for 30 days or 100 revisions
- Files can be launched with web interface in third-party web apps
Cons
- Google Drive supports their own services, meaning that users who are not using Google Docs may have problems
Whether it is for business or for personal storage, Google has storage options for a variety of users. It is ideal for storage and syncing files, it is competitive with other cloud storage providers, and is definitely one of the best cloud storage providers out there.