Lately, Microsoft has improved its online storage product by increasing the size of the storage. Windows Live SkyDrive, formerly known as Windows Live Folders, is now offering 5G online storage for the users. However, as the team of SkyDrive announced in their blog, they only offer this 5G of online storage to as many as 38 countries, but excluding China, Hong Kong and some SouthEast Asia countries, such as Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, and Singapore. I stay and frequently travel in between Singapore and Malaysia (due to my work reason), trying to login to this Windows Live SkyDrive will come across the “Not available in your region.”

Despite the fact that Microsoft’s product and services is popular in SouthEast Asian countries, Windows Live SkyDrive will not be available generally to the people here. As of present, if you’re looking for the alternatives for SkyDrive, you can try myotherDrive (offers 5G), Xdrive (5G), mydatabus (10G), UploadingIT (10G) and MediaMax (25G).

I wonder that Microsoft like to rename their software programs. While I access to Microsoft’s online file storage software, they’ve just renamed it to Windows Live SkyDrive. Does Windows Live SkyDrive provide a clearer and more effective brand identity than its former name, i.e. Windows Live Folders. Perhaps Microsoft is sending a clear message to everyone that they’re building an e-drive instead of a folder-like program for the users.