Welcome to the Cloud With HiDrive Free - Online Storage for Everyone

LONDON, September 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

5 Gigabytes of Storage Space Available Worldwide on Free-HiDrive.com

Strato, one of Europe's top web hosts, has launched a new cloud service called HiDrive Free, which offers users up to 5 gigabytes of free online storage. With HiDrive Free, users can back up their data at a central location and access it from anywhere. Also, the online storage makes it easy to share data with friends, colleagues, or family. As security and privacy always come first at Strato, HiDrive Free employs strict safety measures. Strato operates two certified data centres in Germany. Where in most cases cloud service providers run their data centres in the United States where data privacy laws are of a lower standard, all data stored in HiDrive is subject to German data privacy laws - some of the strictest in the world in terms of data protection. HiDrive Free can be ordered worldwide at http://www.freehidrive.com.

Normally, data is bound to the medium on which it is stored, but anyone who uses HiDrive Free for storing data can access it anytime and anywhere - at home, at work, or on the move. The only prerequisite for using HiDrive Free is a web-enabled device. Whether accessing files via a web browser, a smartphone, or mounting HiDrive Free as a local drive, using HiDrive Free is simple and convenient. Data stored online can be accessed via the HiDrive File Manager with a web browser or via the HiDrive App, which is available for Android and Windows Phone 7 devices. With up to 5 gigabytes of storage, HiDrive Free has plenty of space for photos, documents, music and movies, and because HiDrive Free includes the option for sharing data, users can easily create and send share links to their friends or family. More information can be found at http://www.facebook.com/hidrive.

"With HiDrive Free, a new online storage opportunity enters the cloud where users benefit from plenty of storage space to save important documents, holiday pictures, or music collections - in short, everything of value that shouldn't get lost. And the best thing is, it's free," commented Damian Schmidt, chief executive officer at Strato.

Signing up for a HiDrive Free account is easy and there are no adverts, even in the free package. New users simply log in to http://www.free-hidrive.com by entering their username, email and password, which takes just a few seconds. If users want more storage space, sharing features, and ways to access their HiDrive, Strato will offer premium packages on http://www.freehidrive.com soon. These packages will range from 100 to 500 gigabytes of storage space - HiDrive 100 will be priced at 9.90€* and HiDrive 500 at 29.90€* per month. Also, an option to upgrade from HiDrive Free to premium packages with up to 5000 gigabytes of storage space will be available soon.

High standards of security

"Saving data online is always a matter of trust. Many internet users have concerns about data security and privacy when using online storage - especially with free offers. At Strato, our customers can rest assured that their data is safe and secure. This is due to the innate security of HiDrive," said Damian Schmidt. Strato operates two data centres in Germany and their security and availability are regularly certified by the TÜV according to ISO27001. Usually only banks and insurance companies aim to qualify for this certificate.

Additionally, the server location in Germany has an essential advantage: the stored data comes under German data privacy laws - some of the strictest in terms of data protection worldwide. By using Strato services, users can protect their data against unauthorised access.

The history of HiDrive at Strato

Strato introduced HiDrive, its high performance online storage, in 2010 at CeBIT in Germany and has since rolled out its HiDrive service to two European countries. Within a short period of time, HiDrive has reached a 100,000+ user base in Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Launching HiDrive Free is the next logical step for Strato to reach even greater audiences and to help any potential user find their way into the cloud. Strato intends to be the experienced partner of choice for anyone who wants highly secure and simple to use cloud services.

Notes to Editors:

* prices include VAT, three month contract period, no set-up fee

About STRATO

STRATO, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, is Europe's second-largest web hosting and web application provider. Its services include online storage, all-in-one web hosting packages, dedicated and virtual servers and hosted business software such as online shops. STRATO has over 1.4 million customer contracts in six countries and hosts 4 million domains in two ISO-certified, climate-neutral data centres.

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Shelley Facius
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