SkyDrive is now called OneDrive.
SkyDrive is the former name of a personal cloud storage service from Microsoft that enables customers to store, synchronize and access their files across Windows PC and Mac OS X computers and laptops as well as mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, including Windows Phone devices and Apple iOS-powered iPhones and iPads.
SkyDrive Rebranded as OneDrive
UK broadcaster, British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), won a trademark lawsuit against Microsoft in 2013 concerning the name SkyDrive. As a result, Microsoft agreed to rename the SkyDrive service. In January, 2014, Microsoft officially rebranded SkyDrive as OneDrive and activated the renamed storage service on February 19, 2014.
OneDrive File Syncing
OneDrive is most frequently used for syncing documents and files created with Microsoft products like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. The cloud service additionally enables users to remotely access their PC (as long as the computer is turned on) via the OneDrive website or the desktop client.
OneDrive is a critical component of current and upcoming Microsoft Office / Office 365 releases, with the new office suite saving documents directly to OneDrive by default, enabling users to access their Office files across a variety of devices. Users will also have the option of saving their documents locally or offline and then have them sync with OneDrive upon going online again.
Competing Personal Cloud Services
While competing personal cloud services from Apple (iCloud) and Google (Google Drive) provide users with an initial 5GB of cloud storage for free, OneDrive offers up to 7GB of cloud storage for free. Additional storage capacity is available for purchase on a yearly basis and Office 365 plans offer Premium OneDrive features.
