Verizon Increasing Capacity of Online Backup & Sharing Service Plans

Verizon Communications, Inc. is making it easier for consumers and small businesses to store and share their ever-growing collection of digital assets by increasing the storage capacity of the company’s popular Verizon Online Backup & Sharing (VOBS) service plans without raising the service’s monthly rates.

"As consumers accumulate more and more irreplaceable digital photos and videos or crucial computer files, we recognize they need an expanded storage solution that is safe and secure," said Susan Retta, Verizon vice president of consumer product management. "That’s why we are boosting the size of our storage capacity at all levels."

Following are the new VOBS storage capacity options
and monthly rates:

• 5 gigabytes (GB) of storage capacity for $1.99 a month (previously 1 GB).
• 25 GB for $4.99 a month (previously 5 GB).
• 50 GB for $6.99 a month (previously 10 GB).
• 150 GB for $12.99 a month (previously 20 GB).
• 250 GB for $19.99 a month (five times the storage capacity of the previous highest-capacity offering of 50 GB for $30.99 a month).

A critical feature of VOBS is the customer’s ability to share files, such as personal photos and videos, with friends and family or to quickly share key documents and files with business associates. To make it even easier, VOBS offers a drag-and-drop sharing feature directly from the user’s computer, as well as a simple, automated storage mechanism.

In addition to providing easy access to stored files from any PC with a broadband Internet connection, VOBS allows users to set up customized lists of people who can access folders, and even tracks who has access to the folder. Standard online sharing features include ‘read only’ access or, for collaborating, ‘read and upload’ privileges.

Verizon also offers bundles of VOBS and the popular Verizon Internet Security Suite (VISS), including a bundle of 25 GB of storage and VISS coverage for up to three PCs for $8.99 a month. Several other bundle options are also available.

To demonstrate the ease of VOBS, a free 250 megabyte account is available to Verizon broadband customers.