Microsoft has renamed its updated cloud storage service SkyDrive Pro as OneDrive for Business and for the first time sold it as a standalone service.
Updated features included real-time collaboration with other employees from within Office via a web browser, increased file size of 25GB per employee and offline synchronisation. One-click administrative controls allowed users to create new Office docs, and upload and share files straight from search results within the drive.
Company employees were able to buy OneDrive for Business as part of Office 365 or SharePoint Online plans.
OneDrive for Business would be available between April 1 and September 2014 at US$2.50 per user per month in all licensing agreements/programs or US$1.50 per user per month for customers already with Office with SA or Office 365 ProPlus in various agreement types, said Julia White, general manager of technical product management for Office 365.
Existing Office 365 users would be automatically transitioned into the OneDrive for Business interface. OneDrive for Business was also included with most Office 365 and SharePoint Online plans with no additional cost.
Microsoft’s plan for OneDrive for Business included advanced auditing, report features, data loss prevention, higher storage limits, and encryption at rest which would be rolled out through 2014. The storage service was backed by an Office 365 Service Level Agreement.
