Microsoft is trying to poach customers from competing cloud storage services with a tempting new deal. It's now offering corporate or business users who use Dropbox, Google, Box, or any other storage services to switch to OneDrive, where Microsoft is waiving fees.
Some caveats, however: The company is only offering the deal for free at least until a business or enterprise pays off its existing contract with a competing cloud storage, but that's capped to three years only. The deal will also only be available until later this June, and is only for new customers. To qualify, a business must have at least 500 users. The company says its FastTrack unit will aid newcomers should they transition to OneDrive or Office 365.
Microsoft Offers OneDrive Deal For Business Users
To be clear, Microsoft won't compensate new customers for what they're already spending on rival cloud services; it's simply making its own option free of charge depending on how long their contract is with the competing service. Users will also get the standalone service version of OneDrive for Business, which can be integrated into Office 365.
"We are making it easier for new customers to make the switch by offering free OneDrive for Business for the remaining term of their existing contract with Box, Dropbox, or Google," said Microsoft in a blog post. "This offer is valid starting February 6, 2018 through June 30, 2018 for organizations that are not currently OneDrive for Business or Office 365 customers and who make a minimum 500 user commitment."
Microsoft In The Cloud
Cloud computing is Microsoft's fastest-growing revenue unit, in addition to being the most promising profit-maker among its divisions. Office 365, OneDrive, and Azure are all part of CEO Satya Nadella's vision of a future where PC sales have diminished and software are being given free of charge or sold via subscription packages. The three aforementioned platforms provide something that'll continue to have significant demand in the coming generations: storage.
Microsoft has been investing in cloud computing fronts as well, with the ultimate goal to make Microsoft's products adaptable and modern by slowly transitioning them into its cloud platforms. Cloud is a big, potent business, one where rival Amazon is also seeing phenomenal success. It just posted a stunning 45 percent increase in revenue for its Amazon Web Services platform in Q4 2017, for starters.
Microsoft's new deal is designed to lure more customers into its cloud storage ecosystem, and it's clear it's doing this aggressively.
