Cloud storage is everywhere, and one of the biggest PC manufacturers just threw their name in the ring.
Acer announced at CES the AcerCloud service which will connect personal smart devices and PCs across their network.
The service’s main feature is their Always Connect service which allows users to retrieve media and data files anytime even when their main PC is in sleep mode. As long as the PC remains in sleep mode, smart devices with AcerCloud can wake up the PC through Wi-Fi to access all data that is on the user’s PC. AcerCloud will use a combination of local and cloud storage to give user’s access to all the data they need.
Acer is stressing that users can create, acquire and consume on different devices. They use the example of being able to take photos on a smartphone, then view them on a PC later without having to transfer any data. All of it is already stored on AcerCloud for easy access across all supporting devices.
They announced PicStream which allows users to seamlessly back up all their photos on their PC while sharing them with other smart devices. Photos are backed up permanently on a PC while all photos are accessible for 30 days on the cloud servers.
In a move to compete with the convenience of Google Docs, Acer announced AcerCloud Docs which will allow users to update documents on their PC, upload them to the cloud and then stream them to a multitude of devices for meetings. Once again, the files will be permanently stored on a PC, and accessible on their cloud servers for up to 30 days.
The final new software that will accommodate the new AcerCloud service is the clear.fl Media application. This allows users to access any of their multimedia off the cloud for streaming or to download for offline viewing.
AcerCloud will be bundled with all Acer consumer PCs free of charge starting Q2 2012. It will also support all Android devices, while future support is planned for Windows-based phones. The service will be available in America, Europe, Asia and China.
This move further solidifies cloud storage as the future. As more people move towards mobile computing, whether it be on phones or tablets, they will need more space to store all their data. It’s not much of a surprise to see Acer jump in the ring, but it will be interesting to see if any other major PC manufacturers jump in the cloud storage business during CES.