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Overview and History - Livedrive is backed by Andrew Michael. Andrew founded Fasthosts Internet Limited, the UK's main and most well known Internet service provider which he sold in 2006 for over 120 million dollars. Andrew commented: "Online storage is the future. Lots of companies are trying to do it today but the products are crap and not a replacement for traditional storage methods. Livedrive has been over two years in the making and will be the standard by which all competing products are judged". Livedrive comes in 2 options: LiveDrive Backup and LiveDrive Briefcase (Pro). The Backup edition allows backup of of unlimited internet enabled devices and an unlimited amount of files. The Briefcase or Pro version retains all the features of the basic edition but also gives sharing and synchronization of files via unlimited internet enabled devices. Security - LiveDrive offers 128bit SSL encrypted access to their web site as well as password protection for your account. Information transfer to and from their data centers is protected with 256bit AES encryption – the most secure protection we have discovered for data transfers. Once at their data centers, your files are secured with 256 AES encryption (that's military grade) and you can setup your own private key to manage the encryption if you wish. As for the servers, your data is stored on high grade servers in diverse data centers. These were originally only in the United Kingdom, however, with expanding their service to other global regions, they have also extended their network of data centers which makes your data more secure. Backup Options - A very notable features of LiveDrive Backup is that it is actually unlimited. We have been using LiveDrive for a couple of years now and have backed up several terabytes of data. Adding files to the backup set is as straightforward as right-clicking the file or folder and clicking ‘add to backup’ on the LiveDrive submenu. Once added to the backup schedule, files are examined for amendments and scheduled for archiving as and when they are changed. File versioning is automatically enabled on any files within the backup set and you can have up to 30 editions of an individual file. Open files will also backed up frequently and thanks to the ‘block level incrementation’ technology just the altered bits of files are sent and these are then used to create a new version of the file. This technique vastly reduces the amount of information that must be sent to the servers. Network drives and removable products like pen drives or other plug-and-play products can also be backed up. {There is a progress indicator|A progress indicator is included| and status messages so you know what is being archived and what is awaiting to be archived. Restore Options - You May restore up to 30 different editions of any file that has been backed up by logging into the web site, choosing the file you wish to recover and selecting the version of the file according to date and time. When selected simply select where you would like the file restored to and the portal starts the download process. Simple. Easy. Painless. Control and Analysis - There are separate upload and download flow sliders in the desktop client but no CPU throttling. Socks Proxy servers can be setup which is useful if you are in a public environment and must access the internet using a proxy server. You can also set priorities of types of files, so if you are slowly uploading your entire music collection, you should set excel docs and other file types before video files so that your more vital data is backed up faster. Interface - LiveDrive merges very well with the desktop on PC and MAC. It has a system tray icon to allow fast access to information and option screens. The web portal is really simple to navigate and use. There are loads of collaboration, file sharing and synchronization options added in the pro version of LiveDrive which is called Briefcase. Devices do need the client software installed to run LiveDrive but this is a no hassle and straightforward process that takes a few minutes to download and configure. Device Support - At the time of writing LiveDrive supports Microsoft Windows – XP and up; MAC OS 10.5+; iPhone OS 3.0+; Blackberry and any web-enabled toy via the web portal. Limitations - None found so far. Collaboration and Synchronization - If you choose the Pro or Briefcase edition of LiveDrive then you get a greate set of collaboration and synchronization tools added to your unlimited online backup solution. When you activate the Briefcase option a network drive is created on each PC (or MAC) enabling you to store all your shared files. Initially the drive letter it L: however this can be changed in the client software. Any file that is moved or copied to this logical drive is copied to the web portal and from there to any other devices that have the briefcase feature activated and are setup for the same LiveDrive Account. File conflicts are configurable and can be set to perform an automatic option of your choice or to notify you with each issue. There is also a beta ability called ‘LAN synching’ which lets devices on the same network (for example you may own a desktop, netbook and PDA all using the same hub) to sync data on your LAN instead of uploading every change to the net and back. This is a really efficient feature especially if you have tons of files that you need to initially update on one or several machines. Another very useful feature of the Briefcase is the option to utilize a local cached copy of all the files from the logical shared drive. This means you have access to the virtual drive even when you are not connected to the internet. When you re-connect to the internet, the changed files will be updated on the web site and amendments are pushed out to all other devices as and when they also go online. File Sharing - File sharing is possible in the web site as well as in the client software - if running the Briefcase edition. Merely click on the file or folder that you wish to share, use the share button and you will be asked if you wish to share privately or publically. Public File Sharing means everyone with the unique web address access the file. If you choose this option, you are given a unique website address for the file. This can then be distributed to anyone you wish. Private File Sharing means only users you choose have access to the file. If this option is chosen then you will need to enter the email addresses for every friend you wish to have access to the file. You can insert a personal message to give more information about the file you are granting access to. The program then emails all of the addresses you setup showing general information, your personal message and a unique web address for each file being shared. Web 2.0 Integration - LiveDrive has a music and video player built into the web portal, and a nifty slideshow function. LiveDrive is also connected to quite a few web apps including: Facebook, Flickr, SmugMug, Photo Flexer, Zoho, Spibd, PicNik and others. This means you can get to and alter the majority of your files directly from the web site. Customer Support - There is no phone or online chat support. Yet, not counting wanting to ask obscure questions (which we did via email) there has been no need to talk directly to LiveDrive’s support. There is an email form built into the desktop software and on the web site which they respond to very promptly in our experience. The Forum and Blog are very useful resources to find information or get questions solved from both fellow users and from LiveDrive’s tech. support team. The FAQ and knowledgebase are handy for standard queries as is the demo on their website and there are case studies available on their website. There is no free version but a 14 day free trial is available on both types of account. Learning curve - LiveDrive is very simple to use. After signup, you can download the desktop program to your internet enabled devices and either start backing up your data or – if you have chosen the far more useful Briefcase edition – start transferring folders to your logical drive. Restores and file sharing are no hassle to configure and integrating with web services to amend files even on the move couldn’t be easier. Cost Initial setup: Free 14 day trial Monthly plan costs: Basic - $6.95/mth; Pro - $16.95/mth Yearly plan costs: Basic - $69.50 / yr; Pro - $169.50 / yr Initial allowed storage amount: Unlimited Cost of additional storage: No cost Cost of additional devices / users: No cost Referral Program: Yes E-billing facility: Yes Conclusion - LiveDrive is a very useful backup utility, it hides away cleverly and only makes itself known when necessary. If you opt for the Briefcase option then the huge amount of functions you are getting easily justifies the extra cost. With the large range of integration with web devices and web applications you have a complete online storage and workspace which automatically synchronizes with all your web devices. For small businesses this is a great way to link your employees together and keep everything up-to-date. For individuals it is a brilliant approach to provide a secure central storage area for all your data. There are less expensive Online Storage and Online Backup solutions on the market; but, We there are no better ones. LiveDrive’s unique infusion of ease of use and many functionality make it a sure winner. And to make it even more appealing, if you subscribe to the yearly plan, you get 2 months free and an extra ten percent off FOR LIFE!
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