Microsoft Releases SkyDrive Cloud Service Apps for Windows Phone and the iPhone

Microsoft has just released a version of its SkyDrive cloud service for Windows Phone and the iPhone, offering users the ability to access, share and remove files stored in SkyDrive folders. 

It's no suprise that Microsoft is offering a stand-along app for accessing its remote file storage service with smartphones running its own mobile operating system; however, the company releasing a version for the rival iOS will likely raise a few eyebrows. There's no Android version, though.

While Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) already features integrated aspects of Windows SkyDrive into the Office and Picture hubs, it did not allow users to browse through all the files stores in their drives. Now, the Windows Phone and iOS apps allow users to grant view-only or editing permissions for individual files or folders by using the same “share a link” option found when using the service at SkyDrive.com. Additionally, users can browse all files and folders, regardless of the file type. 

The applications also let iPhone and Windows Phone users fully manage folder structures within SkyDrive, with options like deleting and creating folders, projects, photo albums and individual item

The apps are currently available to download from the Windows Phone Marketplace and Apple App Store. While the iOS version is offered in 32 languages, the Windows Phone version is available in every region where the devices are sold. 

This certainly isn’t the first cloud service available to smartphone users, as more popular options, such as Dropbox and Box, have been available for quite some time.