Microsoft takes aim at Google, Box, Dropbox with OneDrive switch offer
Microsoft is taking aim at several of its cloud-storage competitors with a new OneDrive compete offer.
Starting today, February 6, Microsoft is enabling businesses with 500 users or more to get OneDrive for Business for free for the duration of their contracts with Google, Box, or Dropbox. Qualified users -- who must be new and not existing OneDrive for Business/Office 365 customers -- have until June 30 to take advantage of the deal.
Microsoft will allow qualified customers to use OneDrive for Business freely for up to three years, depending on duration of their existing contracts with the three aforementioned rivals. Just to be clear, Microsoft won't compensate potential customers for what they're spending on rival storage services; Microsoft is just making OneDrive for Business available . And users will get the standalone service version of OneDrive for Business, which can be integrated with the rest of Office 365, which won't be free.
A bit of fine print worth noting: "Enterprise Agreement/Enterprise Agreement Subscription (EA/EAS), will receive a free trial for the remaining term of their Box, Dropbox, or Google contract. Customers with EA/EAS can add the Microsoft product to their EA/EAS at no charge unless and until the remaining term of the Box, Dropbox, or Google contract is less than the term of the EA/EAS, at which point the cost of the Microsoft product will be pro-rated over the term of the EA/EAS."
Microsoft is touting OneDrive for Business' cost, user interface, personalized search, security, and integration with Office 365 as competitive advantages. Microsoft officials said there are currently more than 350,000 organizations using OneDrive. Officials also note that by using a cloud-storage service that is pre-integrated with other Microsoft services, customers who go with OneDrive will have fewer vendors to manage.
Microsoft isn't backing off from its partnering strategy with this compete offer, officials said. Microsoft will continue to work with Box for situations where customers want Box's cloud storage and content-management services on Azure. Nor is Microsoft backing away from its integration deal with Dropbox around Office 365 and Teams.
It's still all about coopetition, Microsoft officials said.
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