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IT-as-a-service delivery specialist OS33 announced the Cloud Drive, a technology that creates a unified file system by bringing together storage from different private and public cloud technologies. OS33’s Webtop with Cloud Drive technology is designed to allow end users to access their files from any device, across cloud-based and local applications.
Cloud Drive technology acts as a gateway for service providers and their customers by unifying the storage capabilities of Amazon Simple Storage, SharePoint 2010 Doclibs for ECM and Microsoft Windows on NTFS and DFS. For managed service providers (MSPs), this means they can deploy and sell a unified cloud-based storage solution. With Cloud Drive, end users can move data and files across various storage platforms and access them within a unified interface.
The platform offers automated provisioning of Amazon S3, Windows NTFS, DFS and SharePoint 2010 storage via a self-service UI in the browser; PowerShell and RESTful API; access to file system capabilities from any computer, device, local and hosted apps via WebDAV with Single Sign On; use of Microsoft Office hosted in a data center or locally, and Office Web Apps in the browser with any type of storage; universal copy/paste, favorites and recently used, across different types of storage; and usage tracking, managed permissions and printing using automated operations across different types of storage and access methods.
“There are many cloud storage options optimized for specific needs such as mobility, reliability, cost savings, security and more,” said Jacob Kazakevich, OS33’s president. “Service providers have been asking us to develop technology which would allow them to deploy and sell storage resources across multiple platforms using our Cloud Control Panel. OS33 Cloud Drive does just that. In addition, it provides end users with universal access to their data directly from our Webtop whether the files are stored in their private cloud, in SharePoint or Amazon S3.”
The company also noted that for legacy applications that don’t support cloud storage, OS33 has a Drop to Amazon folder that will automatically synchronize legacy application data with Amazon S3. Silos created by multiple storage providers are now unified and can be packaged, sold and delivered as part of the OS33 platform. With Cloud Drive integration, files are universally accessible from a simple, easy-to-use unified file system that spans most devices, operating systems, browsers and applications.
“We’ve been working hard on breaking down some of the data silos that we know exist there today. User data is a key asset to any business, and we’re committed to making it always available and easily accessible wherever and whenever it’s needed. Our approach is to step back, use some common sense, apply Internet standards, and deliver something end users want to use.” said Alex Osipov, OS33’s chief technology officer. “As part of testing Cloud Drive with our early adopters group for the past two months, we’ve found there is a lot of excitement about the technology. Our MSPs and end users are finding interesting uses we haven’t even thought about.”