There’s a lot of frustration when it comes to using the Internet and being limited by some Web-based email hosting providers, particularly when it comes to sending large files. Search behemoth Google (News
- Alert) has taken that frustration and tossed it out by integrating its Google Drive right into Gmail, making large attachments easy to send.
Google Drive launched in April as a way for people to keep, create and share files on the Web. With this new integration, Gmail users can send files up to 10GB, a whopping 40 times more than what users used to be able to send.
What’s different, though, is that you’re sending an attachment that is stored in the cloud. For email hosting, that’s a big deal, since traditional attachment methods would physically send a file straight from a hard drive. With cloud attachment, the recipient gets the best and most updated version of the file, thereby eliminating having to send five different versions until they get to the one that is most up-to-date.
Google Drive takes email hosting to a new level when it comes to how we share files. Previously, we’ve seen Web apps try to solve the problem of bandwidth considerations, like Box (News - Alert), Dropbox and YouSendIt. The problem with these apps in the past was maintenance of the latest version and usability. People often forewent the idea of sending large files via the Web and instead turned to other hosting providers for increased capacity. Drive’s integration with Gmail makes for a simpler solution because you never have to leave the compose window to add a file.
The new Google Drive integration is only available to those who’ve opted to switch to Gmail’s latest compose message style.
Google’s foray into cloud storage with Google Drive and now through email hosting reminds us of the many benefits of a hosted email solution and how adequate storage space is a thing of the past. When signing up for an email hosting account, you typically get a robust amount of storage for each mailbox created. Most providers will offer more than enough to efficiently store tens of thousands of messages. Google’s latest integration is a game changer when it comes to sending large files via the Web, devoid of any extraneous apps or programs.
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Edited by Jamie Epstein