Mobile operator MTN has made its first play into the consumer cloud computing market — and taken aim at over-the-top rivals like Google and Dropbox — with a cloud service that provides its users with unlimited storage capacity for a fixed monthly fee of R99.
The service, called MTN Cloud, is available to both prepaid and post-paid customers, and is payable with airtime.
“Currently, end user customers who subscribe to a cloud service have a limited storage capacity and any storage beyond the prescribed threshold is payable, often run by an international OTT [provider], usually paid using a credit card,” MTN said in a statement.
MTN Cloud is encrypted to ensure security and data stored is not screened. The service allows users to sync all their devices, including smartphones, tablets and laptops.
“With MTN Cloud, subscribers can seamlessly access and share all their files such as photos, videos and documents remotely on any device using a mobile cloud app from anywhere in the world,” the operator said. The app runs on Android and iOS, with other platforms being developed.
To subscribe to the service, MTN customers must visit mtncloud.mtn.co.za from their Web browser and enter their e-mail address. They will then receive an e-mail with a link to complete the registration.
Once someone cancels their subscription to MTN Cloud, they have a 30-day window period to log on and retrieve their documents. Customers may not be able to add any new documents during this period, the company said. — Sapa
