A screenshot from the Platypus page while it was live
Google's "Platypus" project: an employee-only version of Gdrive?
Google's unlimited storage service is getting
closer to a public release according to a leaked prototype page (mirror still available here).
The source code for the page claims Justin Rosenstein is the author, who
happens to be the product manager for the Google Page Creator. Furthermore, the
page claims (hidden comments in italics):
- Backup. If you lose your computer, grab a new one and reinstall Platypus.
Your files will be on your new machine in minutes.
- Sync. Keep all your machines synchronized, even if they run different
operating systems.
- VPN-less access. Not at a Google computer? View your files on the web at http://troutboard.com/p" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow.
- Publish. All of the files you store on Platypus are automatically
accessible from the (corporate) web.
- Share. Other Googlers can mount your Platypus folders and open your files
in read-only mode.
- Collaborate. Create shared spaces to which multiple Googlers can write.
- Disconnected access. On the plane? VPN broken? All your files are still accessible.
- Local IO speeds. Open and save as quickly as you could if you were accessing them
from your C: drive.
However, upon closer examination of the screenshot
and its text, some of the hidden commentary in the original site indicates that
project codename Platypus appears to be an internal version of Gdrive
that Google is testing out with its own employees. Originally run on the
private corp.google.com Intranet domain, Platypus appears to be a
version of the final Gdrive service with enhanced Google employee-only
features, such as VPN bypass through the troutboard.com domain should
the user not be at a "Google computer." Details of the public version
of Gdrive are still scarce at this time, but Google has said before that it
plans to offer users the ability to store all their files for easy access.
As the screenshot is an internal test of Gdrive, it is still unclear what
platforms Gdrive will initially support. According to the report, Gdrive will
initially support Windows, OS X and various flavors of Linux.
Google aims to have Gdrive be a secure method of backup for many users. Gdrive
users will be able to sync files from their computers to online copies stored
on Google's own data centers. Users will be able to choose what files are
synced and data is then kept "live" -- changes made locally are
immediately reflected to the remote copies.
Google is also touting that users will be able to collaborate with other Gdrive
or Google account holders. Shared spaces can be created so that certain files
can be shared, or worked on together by more than one user. At this stage, it is
still unclear whether all of the above features will make it into the final
public release as it appears the current version is geared towards Google
corporate use.
DailyTech previously reported
on Gdrive several months ago. The service is intended to offer
unlimited amounts of storage space to users. Other details also suggested that
Google intends to have users store any information and all information
remotely, as a secure way of backing up data and having it retrievable from any
location. While still in the development stages, security concerns are already
rising about this new service -- although Google isn't forcing anyone to sign
up, so it's at a person's own discretion.
"If they're going to pirate somebody, we want it to be us rather than somebody else." -- Microsoft Business Group President Jeff Raikes
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