Sure, any number of services can sync your files to “the cloud,” but most of them revolve around uploading and downloading. ZumoDrive stores your files online but makes them accessible in real-time, effectively giving you Web storage that behaves as if it’s local storage.
That’s a potentially killer solution for road warriors who prefer not to keep files in different locations, but instead want them centrally accessible. It also solves the problem of netbooks with cramped solid-state drives, as ZumoDrive gives you upwards of 500GB of storage. Here’s a video that explains it all:
To use ZumoDrive, you install the client software (available for windows and Mac), then drag and drop files and folders to it — just as you would with a regular drive.
You can then access those files in any Web browser (no software required) or on any PC that has the ZumoDrive client installed. Don’t have a live Internet connection 24/7? Don’t worry: You can designate certain files to remain local.
Interestingly, there’s also a free iPhone app [iTunes link] that lets you retrieve documents, photos, and even music (which, incidentally, you can stream from your account — a nice workaround for memory-strapped iPhones). An Android version is in the works.
A free ZumoDrive account includes 1GB of storage. Plans start at $2.99 per month for 10GB of storage and range up to $79.99 monthly for 500GB.
I really like ZumoDrive. It’s easy to set up and use, and as long as you have a live Internet connection, it does an effective job of keeping your files centralized. It also potentially frees up space on your hard drive.
Of course, if all you want is synced online storage, look to perennial favorites like Dropbox and SugarSync. And for direct synchronization between PCs, my go-to solution remains Windows Live Sync.
What do you think? Is ZumoDrive a worthwhile solution for business users, or do you not like the idea of keeping critical files in the cloud?
