Microsoft has rebranded its cloud storage service SkyDrive after losing a lawsuit brought by British broadcaster Sky in July 2013.
Microsoft promised to rename SkyDrive within a "reasonable period of time" and today announced that the service will be known as OneDrive.
The name OneDrive was chosen, Microsoft says "because it is one place for all documents and one place that is seamlessly connected across all devices". The switchover to OneDrive will be seamless and all services will continue to work as normal, writes Ryan Gavin, general manager of consumer apps and services for Microsoft,
in a blog post. SkyDrive and SkyDrive Pro will soon be known as OneDrive and OneDrive for Business, although Microsoft has not specified exactly when the new names will come into effect.
It's possible when OneDrive officially launches it may also offer new features as Microsoft cryptically hints that it will be "even better" and be "everything you love about SkyDrive and more".
If you want to be one of the first to "experience" OneDrive, Microsoft has provided a sign-up page so you will be alerted when it's available.
Having to change the name of a product as important as SkyDrive, which was known as Windows Live in a previous life, is no doubt a blow for Microsoft -- something Gavin does not attempt to disguise in the post. "Changing the name of a product as loved as SkyDrive wasn't easy," he writes, linking out to a report of the legal case on ComputerWeekly.com.
Microsoft was ordered to change the name of SkyDrive following a High Court ruling here in the UK, which determined the company had breached BSkyB's trademark. Microsoft initially threatened to appeal the decision, but on 31 July the two companies announced they had reached a settlement. Financial terms were agreed as part of this, although neither company has elaborated on figures.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
