Google lets users send USB sticks and HDDs for Cloud Storage service

In the future, users will be able to send their hard drives and USB sticks to Google for storage with the online service. Google offers the remarkable service because it is faster than uploading large loads of data via, for example, a DSL line.

The service has been offered by Google since 2013, but until now it was only possible to send hard drives to the company. More types of physical media have now been added. In addition to hard drives, USB sticks and tape drives can now also be sent. During the preview, Google charged $80 per disk for importing the data. It is unclear what Google will now charge for the service.

On the page of Google Offline Media Import/Export it can be read that Google is leaving the execution of the service to the company Iron Mountain. Google would soon appoint a company to provide the same service in Europe. However, it is not clear what the ‘export’ part of the service’s name refers to. The competing cloud platforms from Amazon and Microsoft also offer such services.