To create awareness and offer new ways to protect your content, Hitachi GST today announced HitachiBackup.com, a cloud storage service providing anywhere, anytime access to your digital content. The company is offering the first 3 gigabytes (3GB) of online storage are free. The cloud storage service stores users' content on online servers for accessing and sharing files from any web browser, tablet or smartphone ? even from an Apple iPhone and iPad app. All content is stored in its natural format (no proprietary formatting), so files are easy to view, download and share from any web browser, anywhere. Users can even share their online content with others by sending a web link. Backups can be performed continuously or as scheduled at a specific time in the day.

Hitachi GST said that it utilizes advanced security technology to guarantee that users' files are saved in the most secure way possible. All communication goes through an encrypted SSL channel, the same ones used by banking institutions.

HitachiBackup.com is as also very simple to use. Once the online backup software is installed on a computer or laptop, by enabling the online backup option and all of the pictures, movies, music files and important documents are getting backed up to Hitachi's remote servers. Plus, HitachiBackup.com is both Mac and PC friendly.

Hitachi GST is offering users who sign up for the service today 3GB for free clod-based storage. For more storage, there is an option to upgrade to a quarter of a terabyte (250GB) for $49 per year, which includes multiple computer protection. The company is also offering users who upgrade to a paid account the Apple iPhone or iPad mobile digital device apps for free.

Hitachi has been also shipping this online backup service with several of its external hard drive families. The most recent is its new line of Touro Pro external storage and backup solutions. Hitachi Touro Pro solutions come in capacities ranging from 500GB ($109.99 MSRP) to 3TB ($229.99 MSRP).