Microsoft SkyDrive Meets SharePoint

SharePoint & SkyDrive

The trend for SkyDrive usage is increasing, as more and more apps are available. Apparently the 25 GB storage was reduced to 7 GB.  In this article we will see the advantages of SkyDrive & its possible use with SharePoint.

What is SkyDrive?

Windows Live SkyDrive (initially Windows Live Folders) is part of Microsoft's Windows Live range of online services including Cloud Storage to store & sync files. SkyDrive files can be accessed through Browsers & mobile devices. In addition to storing, SkyDrive provides Sharing facilities.  We can access SkyDrive using URL:

https://skydrive.live.com/

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In the technological world, interestingly there will be equivalent things. You can see SkyDrive is equivalent to Google Docs, Google Drive & associated synchronizing mechanisms.

What are the advantages of SkyDrive?

The advantages can be summarized as:

  • Cloud Storage allows access to files from anywhere
  • Good Backup Mechanism
  • Free Storage up to 7 GB
  • Free Office Web Apps
  • Sharing Facility
  • Quick Creation of SkyDrive Account
  • Large file uploads are supported
  • SkyDrive apps for Synchronizing in Multiple Devices

The advantages are depicted below:

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How to create a SkyDrive Account?

This will take just 2 minutes.  Believe me!
Open your browser and enter the URL: https://skydrive.live.com/

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In the page that appears you can enter your Microsoft Account & Password, then click the Sign in button. If you do not have a Microsoft Account use the Sign up now link to create one.
After logging in you will see the following page.  You can use the Upload button to upload files.

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Office Web Apps

You can use the Office Web Apps to work with Word / Excel / Power Point / OneNote files without the need of Microsoft Office installed in your computer. You can use the Create menu from the top bar.

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On entering the new document name in the dialog that appears, you will be taken to the Word Web App as shown below.  Here you can edit & save the document. There is limited access to the original Microsoft Word features.

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Similarly you can use the other Office Web Apps.

SkyDrive Apps

For synchronizing your files automatically, use the following SkyDrive App:

After installing you will get a new SkyDrive item in the Windows Explorer.

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SharePoint & SkyDrive

Now let us see how SharePoint can work with SkyDrive. The following are some of them.

SkyDrive Connector for SharePoint

SkyDrive Connector for SharePoint is a sandbox web part that can help manage documents stored on SkyDrive on SharePoint by adding additional metadata. This helps the document to be discoverable on SharePoint.

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You can download it from:

http://skydriveconnector.codeplex.com/

Sharing Files in SkyDrive

We can share files in SharePoint or SkyDrive.  Inside the Office Application choose the Share / Save As option to locate the SkyDrive folder.

Some Tips for using SkyDrive

Use 2 SkyDrive Accounts

There are basically 2 kinds of files we need to backup:

  • Those that are changed frequently.  They include your Office Documents like Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.
  • Those that are never changed.  They include eBooks, Photos, MP3 files, Video clips

Automatic Synchronization is advantageous, since you will never end up with a loss of data. In this case you can use one SkyDrive account for automatic synchronizing. The other account can be used for manual uploading & sharing.

Create Free Accounts

If the 7 GB limit is not enough, it is possible to create more free SkyDrive accounts.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyDrive

Summary

In this article we have explored the SkyDrive features & SharePoint possibilities to work with it. You can find more tools & resources for SharePoint that work with SkyDrive.