WD gives consumers a cloud of their own
WD, a Western Digital company and a world leader in storage solutions for the connected life, has introduced its new My Cloud family of personal cloud solutions.
WD’s My Cloud is a complete solution for users to organise, centralise and secure the digital content from all of their computers and mobile devices and access those files from any device, from anywhere in the world.
By simply connecting a My Cloud personal cloud drive to the Internet, consumers get the anywhere, any-device access they can get from the public cloud, without having to pay monthly fees or giving up control of their personal data.
Jim Welsh, executive vice president and general manager of WD's branded products and consumer electronics groups, said: “We believe that there’s no place like home for the cloud.”
“Everyone is inundated with thousands of digital files scattered across multiple computers and mobile devices, and controlling that chaos is a challenge.
WD’s personal cloud is the easiest, most secure and most affordable way for customers to control that chaos, with access to all of their files anywhere, anytime.”
Research firm Gartner estimates that the average household will own approximately 3.3 terabytes (TB) of digital content by 2016.
In line with this growth of digital content is the explosive growth of Internet-connected devices, with the current US household owning 5.7 connected devices, according to The NPD Group.
The convergence of rapid content and device growth requires a new storage paradigm that gives consumers complete control over their digital lives.
Personal cloud storage is the new standard, allowing users to keep media and files safe at home on their own physical drive and then access them over the Internet with any PC or Mac computer or on tablets and smartphones through mobile apps.
Using the My Cloud drive, users can share files, stream media and access content anywhere with no monthly fees and feel secure in the knowledge that their cloud resides in their own home under their exclusive control.
Liz Conner, Senior Research Analyst, Storage Systems, IDC said: “Families are connecting, sharing, syncing, and backing-up numerous mobile devices and computers in their household, with the amount of digital data being created on these devices growing dramatically.”
“Personal cloud is an ideal solution to simplify the complex issue of organising digital files across various devices so that users can enjoy their digital videos, photos and music on all of their devices.”
Anamika Budree, WD Branded Sales Manager – South Africa, said: “These figures, although estimated higher than the local market, indicate that there is a growing trend towards multiple devices.
“The need for a personal cloud in the South African market is also apparent and is meeting the needs of users that require a central repository for their digital content.”
