The biggest US phone network takes on Google, Microsoft with new cloud storage plan

Google cloud services
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Verizon is taking on some of the biggest players in the cloud computing space with an update to its cloud storage offering. Most notably, the US phone network will now offer an Unlimited plan, which also comes with shared storage and backup across multiple devices.

For $19.99 a month, subscribers to the Unlimited plan get unlimited storage -  unsurprisingly - the option of sharing their plan with up to five users, data backups for both computer and phone files, and the ability to search across devices. The 2TB plan, meanwhile, comes with all those features except unlimited storage and costs $14.99 a month. Finally, there’s a 600GB plan, which only provides storage for one user and one phone, costing $5.99 a month.

Previously, Verizon did not offer an unlimited option, with the 2TB tier providing the most storage. There was also a 1TB plan, which now appears to have been dropped.

Cloud competition

Of course, Verizon faces stiff competition in the cloud storage space. The likes of Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft’s Onedrive already have a large cohort of satisfied customers that will prove difficult to entice.

In an effort to attract new customers, Verizon Cloud does offer a range of additional benefits, including advanced searching, the ability to save photos and videos in their original size, and a private PIN-protected folder. Furthermore, video and photo flashbacks will be delivered weekly and photo printing via Fujifilm will be offered.

There’s also a wide range of file types that can be backed up with the service, including contacts, photos, videos, music, text messages, call logs, and documents. Verizon Cloud is available for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac platforms now for anyone that wants to try it out.

Barclay Ballard

Barclay has been writing about technology for a decade, starting out as a freelancer with ITProPortal covering everything from London’s start-up scene to comparisons of the best cloud storage services.  After that, he spent some time as the managing editor of an online outlet focusing on cloud computing, furthering his interest in virtualization, Big Data, and the Internet of Things.