Product Overview

Livedrive is backed by Andrew Michael. Andrew founded Fasthosts Internet Limited, the UK's largest and most successful Internet hosting company which he sold in 2006 for over $120m. Andrew commented: "Online storage is the future. Lots of companies are trying to do it today but the products are crap and not a replacement for traditional storage methods. Livedrive has been over two years in the making and will be the standard by which all competing products are judged".

LiveDrive comes in 2 flavors: Backup or Backup and Briefcase. The first option does as it suggests and provides a backup facility for an unlimited number of devices. The second option has all the features of Backup but also provides collaboration tools and a central access area along with a virtual drive on each device it is installed on.

On both versions, storage space is truely unlimited. We actually use LiveDrive and have been doing so since January 2008. Currently we have nearly 100Gb of stored files and have had absolutely no problems.

Feature Set

Security

LiveDrive offers 128bit SSL encrypted access to their web portal along with password protection for your account. Data transfer to and from the servers is protected via 256bit AES encryption – the best encryption we have seen for file transfers. Once on their servers, your data is protected with 256 AES encryption (that's very good!) and you can use your own private key if you wish. Physically, your data is stored on military grade servers in multiple data centers. These were originally only in the UK, however, since expanding their service to other countries, they have also expended their network of data centers which makes your data more secure.

Backup Features

One of the most impressive features of LiveDrive Backup is that it is truly unlimited. We have been using LiveDrive for a couple of years now and have backed up several terabytes of data in that time. Adding files to the backup set is as easy as right-clicking the file or folder and selecting add to backup from the LiveDrive submenu. Once added to the backup schedule, files are monitored for changes and scheduled for backup as soon as they are changed. File versioning is automatically enabled on any files within the backup set and you can have up to 30 versions of any file. Open or in use files are also backed up on a regular basis and thanks to the ‘block level incrementation’ technology only the changed parts of files are uploaded and then added to a new version of the file. This hugely reduces the amount of data that needs to be uploaded. Network drives and removable media such as pen drives or other USB drives can also be backed up. And there is a progress indicator and status messages so you know what is being backed up and what is still waiting to be uploaded.

Restore Features

Restore up to 30 versions of any file you have backed up by logging into the web portal, navigating to the file you wish to restore and selecting the version of the file according to date and time. Then simply select where you want it restored and the portal starts the download process. Simple. Easy. Painless.

Control and Analysis

There are separate upload and download bandwidth throttling controls in the desktop client but no CPU throttling. Socks Proxy servers are supported which is great if you are in a shared environment and need to access the internet via a proxy server. You can also set priorities of types of files, so if you are slowly uploading your entire music collection, you may want to set documents and other file type ahead of MP3s so that your more vital data is backed up more quickly.

Interface

LiveDrive integrates with the desktop on PC and MAC. It provides a system tray icon to give fast access to information and option screens. The web portal is very easy to navigate and use. There are several options dedicated to the pro version of LiveDrive called Briefcase. Devices do need the client software installed but this is a very easy and straightforward process that takes a few minutes to download and run.

Device Support

Currently LiveDrive support Microsoft Windows – XP, Vista and Seven; MAC OS 10.5+; iPhone OS 3.0+; Blackberry and any web enabled device via the web portal.

Limitations

We have found no limitations with LiveDrive.

Collaboration and Synchronization

If you go for the Pro or Briefcase version of LiveDrive then you get a host of Collaboration and synchronization tools added to your unlimited online backup solution. When you enable the Briefcase option a virtual drive is created on each PC (or MAC) and this is where you store all your shared files. By default the drive letter it L: but this can be changed in the client software. Any file that is moved or copied to this virtual drive will automatically be copied to the web portal and to any other devices that have the briefcase feature enabled and are configured for the same LiveDrive Account. File conflicts are configurable and can be set to perform an automatic option of your choice or to ask what to do with each conflict.
There is also a beta feature called LAN synching which allows devices on the same network (for instance you may have a desktop, laptop and iPhone all using the same internet connection) to sync files locally rather than sending all changes to the internet and back. This is a really great feature if you have a bunch of files that you need to initially update on one or several machines.
Another very useful feature of the briefcase is the option to have a local cached copy of all the files on the virtual shared drive. This means you have access to the L: drive even when you are offline. When you re-connect to the internet, any changed files are updated on the web portal and changes are pushed out to the other devices as and when they also come online.

File Sharing

File sharing is possible in the web portal. Simply select the file or folder that you wish to share, click the share link and you will be asked if you wish to share privately or publically. Public file sharing means anyone with the correct web address can access the file. If you choose this option, then you will be given a unique web address for the file. This you can distribute to anyone you wish. Private file sharing means only people you choose will have access to the file. If you choose this option then you will be asked to enter the email addresses for each person you wish to have access to the file. You can also add a private message to give more information about the file you are giving access to. The system then sends an email to each of the addresses you listed providing general information, your private message and a unique web address for the file being shared.

Web 2.0 Integration

LiveDrive has a music and video player built into the web portal, along with a useful slideshow feature. LiveDrive is also linked to several online applications including: Facebook, Flickr, SmugMug, Photo Flexer, Zoho, Spibd, PicNik and others. This means you can access and update most of your files directly from the web portal..

Pricing

LiveDrive offers 4 packages as shown below:

Plan	Backup	Briefcase	Pro	Business
Initial setup	free	free	free	free
Cost – Monthly	$7.95 / mth	$15.95 / mth	$24.95 / mth	Express - $49.95 / mth Standard - $159.95 / mth
Cost – Yearly	$79.50 / yr	$159.95 / yr	$249.50 / yr	n/a
Initial allowed storage amount	unlimited	2Tb*	5Tb	Express - 2Tb, & 3 users Standard - 10Tb, 10 users
Cost of additional storage	unlimited	$7.95 / Tb / mth	$7.95 / Tb / mth	$7.95 / Tb / mth
Cost of additional devices / PCs / users	n/a	n/a	n/a	$15.95 / user / mth
Referral Program
E-billing facility

* Tb stands for Terabyte. 1Tb = 1,024Gb!

Special Offer: Pay for a year up-front to get two months free AND a 10% discount for life! You can cancel within two weeks for a full refund! That means you pay $63.00 per year for backup and $153.00 per year for backup and briefcase.

Ease Of Use

LiveDrive is very easy to use. After you signup, you can instantly download the software to your internet enabled devices and either start backing up your data or – if you have gone for the far more useful Briefcase option – share moving files to your L: drive. Restores and file sharing are a breeze to setup integrating with online services to update files while on the move couldn’t be easier.

Screenshots

Customer Support

There is no telephone or live chat support. However, apart from wanting to ask obscure questions (which we did via email) we have never needed to talk directly to LiveDrive’s support. There is an email form built into the client software and on the web portal which they answer very quickly in our experience. The Forum and Blog are great places to get information or get questions answered from both fellow users and from LiveDrive’s tech. support team. The FAQ and knowledgebase are good for general questions and there is a demo and case studies available from the website. There is no free version but a 14 day free trial is available on both types of account.

Summary

LiveDrive is a great backup tool, it hides away neatly and only makes itself known when you need to be told something. If you go for the Briefcase option then the host of features you are getting more than justifies the extra cost. With the wide range of integration with internet devices and online services you have a complete online storage and workspace which automatically syncs with all your online devices. For small businesses, this is a great way to link your team together and keep everything up-to-date. For individuals it is a great way to have a secure central storage area for all your files. There are cheaper Online Storage and Online Backup solutions out there, however, I’m not sure there are better ones. LiveDrive’s unique blend of ease of use and many features make it a sure winner. And to make it even more appealing, if you go for the yearly plan, you get 2 months free and an extra 10% off FOR LIFE!