14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft needs to rename SkyDrive in the United Kingdom after settling a trademark dispute with British broadcaster BSkyB, but the company is yet to choose a new name for its cloud-based storage service.
Recent reports have hinted that Microsoft might after all go for “NewDrive,” a completely new designation that could prove to be only a simple placeholder used by the company before choosing a new name.
Now WMPowerUser is reporting that Microsoft has already purchased some new domain names, which could provide us with a hint on the new designation of SkyDrive.
Both BingDrive and FetchDrive are said to resolve to SkyDrive.com, even though it’s not yet clear whether Microsoft would pick any of these as the new name of its cloud service.
Truth is, they rather would make more sense, especially since the company has already created a number of Bing apps integrated into Windows 8.1. And still, it could be a little bit misleading given the fact that SkyDrive isn’t part of the Bing team, so Microsoft might need to rethink its options.
News regarding Microsoft trademark infringement in the United Kingdom emerged during the summer, with people familiar with the matter revealing that Redmond was allowed to keep using the SkyDrive name “for a reasonable period of time to allow for an orderly transition to a new brand.”
While the “reasonable period of time” phrase is a little bit vague, it turns out that Microsoft is nearing the moment when it’ll officially announce a new name for SkyDrive, especially because the service is becoming so important for its long-term strategy.
SkyDrive is currently integrated in Windows 8.1 and other products across Microsoft’s range and gets updated on a regular basis with new features and options supposed to improve the overall experience with the cloud-based service.