WD wants to put personal cloud storage solution in every home. To do that, the leader in storage solutions has introduced a new WD My Cloud family of personal cloud solutions. By simply connecting a WD My Cloud storage device to the internet, users get access to their data anytime, anywhere, without paying monthly fees or relinquishing control of their personal data.
Gartner estimates that the average household will own approximately 3.3TB of digital content by 2016. I personally have friends who already exceed that. And this is in 2014. The explosive growth of digital content and internet-connected devices have spawned a new storage paradigm that gives consumers complete control over their digital lives.
Enter personal cloud storage – an ideal solution where media and files are safe at home yet accessible over the internet via PC, Mac, tablets or smartphones. WD mentioned that their WD My Cloud EX4 4-bay network attached storage device launched last year, has been well-received in the market.
WD My Cloud’s software is a rich web-based interface that offers easy, seamless setup. Users can get up and running within minutes. Once setup, users can easily connect their computers and devices.
With built-in Gigabit Ethernet and a fast dual-core processor, file transfers are blazing fast. Users can also do direct file transfers from mobile devices, freeing up valuable space on users’ smart devices. Users can also attach a compatible USB 3.0 hard drive directly into the USB expansion port on the WD My Cloud drive to expand storage capacity.
With WD SmartWare Pro, PC users can manage how, when and where to back up their files. On the Mac, WD can fully utilise all the features of Apple Time Machine backup software.
WD My Cloud integrates major public cloud services like Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive making file transfers easy.
WD My Cloud isn’t just a handy backup and storage tool. It is also a home entertainment hub, storing all your media files that can be streamed to any DLNA-certified multimedia device such as a WD TV Live media player, smart TV and gaming consoles.
Accessibility is a key strength with WD My Cloud. The mobile app available for iOS and Android devices allow users to view photos, stream videos and access their files from anywhere, anytime from their mobile devices.
Pricing and availability
WD My Cloud personal cloud storage is available at selected retailers and is distributed by Amble Action Sdn Bhd and Eternal Asia (M) Sdn Bhd in Malaysia.
Prices are as below:
WD My Cloud 2TB – RM499
WD My Cloud 3TB – RM649
WD My Cloud 4TB – RM799
The WD My Cloud mobile app is available to download for free from the App Store and Google Play.
Initial thoughts
For consumers, the WD My Cloud solution should be a rather compelling one. Affordable, with high storage capacity, easy to setup and manage, and highly accessible, WD My Cloud also doubles up as a home digital entertainment hub. With WD My Cloud, it puts cloud storage into consumers own hands whilst still playing nice with familiar public cloud services like DropBox, OneDrive and Google Drive.
