One of the benefits of the ongoing battle between Microsoft and Google to win over internet users is free stuff. Microsoft is running a beta on web storage:

“Microsoft made an early, “beta” version of the web-based file storage system available to 5,000 people Tuesday night in its latest effort to bulk up its online offerings and fend off challenges from Google Inc. The beta will be widely available later this summer.”

link: Microsoft unveils web storage beta

The trial of five hundred megabytes of storage may not seem much to some. However, it was not long ago that services such as Hotmail offered very little space to its users. And, with competition, that Hotmail space expanded quickly. Perhaps, if Microsoft makes this online storage simple enough, more people will back-up those important files on their machines.

Catherine Forsythe

Tags: microsoft, beta, online storage, google, free, backups, competition