@Backup, a provider of Internet-based data storage services, on Wednesday changed its name to SkyDesk Inc. and celebrated by introducing a number of new services aimed at enhancing its channel presence.
SkyDesk, based here, introduced three new Internet storage services aimed at helping customers manage content, collaborate on content and migrate content, and is looking for partners to resell these services, said Jim Till, vice president of marketing.
Potential partners include ISPs, ASPs and others looking to become service providers, and they could have access to recurring revenue streams and accelerated end-user upgrades, Till said. "It's an inventory-free mechanism for providing services to small and midsize businesses and corporate environments," he said.
Several OEMs, such as Dell Computer Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co., currently are bundling basic SkyDesk services, especially storage space over the Internet for backing up data, with a limited amount of space or for a limited time, said Till. "We're seeding the market for resellers to sell the [other] services," he said. "Prices could be coupled with maintenance services."
Current channel partners include DSL service providers Covad Communications Co., Santa Clara, Calif., and Plan B Communications, New York. An ASP that has yet to start operations, WorkWired, also may offer the SkyDesk services.
New services introduced by SkyDesk include @Backup Workgroup Edition, which allows system administrators to control what gets backed up at small or midsize businesses or mobile PC users within an enterprise, as well as how often it gets backed up, all over the Internet.
SmartClone allows corporate users to migrate data, applications and "personality" from legacy PCs to new systems automatically via the Internet, so it is not necessary for the two PCs to be in the same room. The "personality" includes such things as cookies, bookmarks and screen savers.
SkyFiler allows multiple business users to share and edit data files stored securely on the Internet.
@Backup Workgroup Edition and SkyFiler are expected to be available next quarter, while SmartClone is expected to be available in the second half of this year.
