WD, a Western Digital company, and leader in storage solutions, has introduced significant enhancements to WD’s family of My Cloud personal storage devices, including a new, redesigned My Cloud OS 3 operating system, Software Developer Kit (SDK) enabling enhanced app integration and a dual-drive My Cloud Mirror personal cloud storage offering increased memory and faster processing performance than previous generations.

WD’s My Cloud OS 3 features an intuitive user interface delivering a rich content sharing experience, and back-up and sync capabilities that elevate the personal cloud NAS offering while retaining the privacy and control unique to personal cloud devices physically located in the home or office.

“We know our personal cloud customers place the highest value on their personal content and enjoy the peace of mind from backing up PCs, smart phones and tablets to and centralising content on their My Cloud systems. They tell us they are confident in the privacy, control and anywhere access we provide them with the My Cloud OS,” says Jim Welsh, senior vice president and general manager of Content Solutions at WD. “Now, with My Cloud OS 3, we’ve made users’ management of their digital lives easier than ever before.”

My Cloud OS 3 features powerful new photo and video capabilities via two new user experiences: MyCloud.com. MyCloud.com provides users global access to their My Cloud via an intuitive web browser based user interface and enables file collaboration, comprehensive access management and a photos and videos gallery view.

My Cloud OS 3’s new WD Sync feature syncs data across multiple PCs and notebooks, ensuring that important files are up to date and available to users from almost any device. The new OS also allows users to set up automatic camera-roll backup of photos from smartphones and tablets and offers a new transfer tool that enables users to easily and quickly move their files to My Cloud devices. The OS also includes Chromebook and Chromecast support.

As part of the My Cloud OS 3 launch, WD has introduced My Cloud Device SDK and My Cloud API enabling developers to build new extensions, features and capabilities within the My Cloud ecosystem of personal cloud storage devices. The My Cloud Device SDK, based on the Docker open platform technology, ensures developers can easily access and collaborate to create customised experiences. Partners already developing extensions and new features based on the new SDK include Plex and Milestone.

In addition to new software upgrades, WD has also introduced a new version of My Cloud Mirror personal cloud storage devices, featuring two hard drives set to Mirror Mode (RAID 1), ensuring content is stored on one drive and automatically duplicated to a second drive. My Cloud Mirror personal cloud storage includes the new features announced for My Cloud OS 3 and an improved processor and 512 MB RAM for faster file transfers and application support.

“The enhancements to WD’s My Cloud personal storage offering is a result of WD understanding our evolving technology environment and adapting in order to meet not only current but future user requirements too.  Delivering a more powerful computing platform to support performance and the Cloud user experience is enabling us to do just that,” says Anamika Budree, Sales Manager, Branded Products at WD South Africa.

Pricing and Availability

WD My Cloud OS 3 will be available at the end of the month as a free download on current My Cloud personal cloud storage devices. My Cloud devices supporting the new OS 3 include: My Cloud, My Cloud Mirror, My Cloud Expert Series EX2/EX4, My Cloud Expert Series EX2100/EX4100 and My Cloud Business Series DL2100/DL4100.

Customers can also download the new WD My Cloud mobile apps, which are now available on the iTunes and Google Play stores. All WD My Cloud devices are available today in the WD store at wdstore.com and at select retailers and distributors. Access to My Cloud Device SDK and My Cloud API will be available to interested developers late September.

My Cloud Mirror will have a Manufactured Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of 4 TB R4 799.00, 6 TB R5 499.00, 8 TB R6 599.00 and is available from select retailers and distributors.  Pricing may vary depending on the Rate of Exchange (RoE).