Google Drive spotted in presentation

Google's long-rumored cloud storage was confirmed getting close through a sighting at a Google-backed presentation. Johannes Wigand relayed an image to TechCrunch of Google Drive sitting in amidst a Google Docs section. While it would behave much like the storage woven into Google Docs today, it's now expected to have both desktop and mobile syncing apps to make it truly useful as general cloud storage rather than hide it in Docs as an extra.

It should support folders and other utilities. What platforms would be supported at first aren't known, although Android would be a given for mobile while iOS comes a close second.

No schedule has surfaced for when it would roll out, although it's hinted that it might come soon, possibly as soon as Ice Cream Sandwich reaches Android in October or November. Whether or not that implies built-in cloud storage for the mobile OS itself is yet to be determined, although this may provide an edge over Apple's iCloud and HTC's Dropbox integration by offering generalized Internet storage built into the OS itself.

Google Drive has been in development as far back as 2007 but has stayed largely out of Google projects until now because of teething quality issues. Employees 'dogfooding' Drive, or using it themselves in real-world conditions, now say that the finished product is much easier to use.

By Electronista Staff