Redmond’s even throwing in 15 GB free for all, as it eyes rival Google.Microsoft is upping the cloud storage competition by increasing storage to 1 TB for Office 365 subscribers, and slashing additional storage costs by 70%, as it faces intense rivalry from Google Drive, Dropbox and others.
OneDrive will now come with 15 GB free storage – up from 7 GB – matching Google Drive’s cloud offering.
“Our data tells us that 3 out of 4 people have less than 15 GB of files stored on their PC,” Omar Shahine, Group Program Manager, OneDrive.com in a blog post.
“The landscape is changing to the point that we believe it’s no longer enough to provide only cloud storage – that’s table stakes.”
All versions of Office 365 will come with 1 TB of OneDrive storage, which he says is “an unbelievably low price.”
For Office 365 Home which costs $12 pm, users will get get 1 TB per person (up to 5 people), all OneDrive for Business customers will also get 1 TB storage per person. Subscribers to Office 365 Personal ($9/mo) and University get 1 TB per subscription.
“We want to provide a complete experience that brings in the power of Office and lets you do more with everything you put in your OneDrive – whether it’s sharing your favorite photos with the people you care about in one simple click or working together in real time on an important project,” says Shahine.
Microsoft is also dropping storage prices by 70%.
It is now charging $1.99 for 100 GB (previously $7.49) and $3.99 for 200 GB from $11.49. All of these updates will take effect in the next month.
Current subscribers will be automatically be moved to the lower prices.
