CES: Acer, Lenovo Vie For Piece Of The Cloud

Acer and Lenovo are mounting full-on cloud computing assaults, and at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week the dueling computer giants each launched their own spin on cloud computing services.

Dubbed AcerCloud, Acer's first stab at a cloud computing service takes cues from market leaders such as Apple, Dropbox, Google and others with a cloud service that offers users access to media and files from any device. According to Acer, AcerCloud "securely connects all personal smart devices for anytime, anywhere access" to photos, videos, documents and any other multimedia or data files. Acer said its Always Connect technology lets users retrieve multimedia and data files even if their main PC is in sleep or hibernation mode.

Acer's service leverages encryption and authentication to ensure data security, and it will be wrapped into all new Acer consumer PCs starting in the second quarter. AcerCloud will support all Android devices, with Windows support slated for the future.

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With AcerCloud, Acer joins a growing market of cloud storage and sync up-and-comers fighting for a piece of the cloud computing pie. It also joins the ranks of free and cheap cloud storage services. AcerCloud leverages both cloud and local storage to offer users access to data from different devices.

"AcerCloud not only provides the simplicity and efficiency when accessing and sharing data, but it's also free with a new Acer PC and gives our users peace of mind, knowing that their data is safely transferred in a personal cloud space," Acer President Jim Wong said in a statement.

Lenovo, too, looked to the cloud at CES with its own cloud service offering. Lenovo's Personal Cloud play puts the world's No. 2 PC company squarely into the cloud with its bid to streamline content across multiple devices, including PCs, tablets, smartphones and smart TVs. The Personal Cloud vision marries hardware, software and the cloud to offer what the company called "a seamless digital experience" that bridges four screens.

Lenovo's Personal Cloud offering will hit the market in new products including the IdeaTab S2, Smartphone S2 and K91 smart TV.

"Lenovo is breaking down the barriers of device differentiation and weaving together hardware, software and cloud services that are connected, experiential and dynamic," said Liu Jun, senior vice president and president of Lenovo's Mobile Internet and Digital Home business group, in a statement. "We understand our users need more than just the traditional keyboard and screen for a truly satisfying digital experience. Our Personal Cloud vision integrates all devices, from tablets to TVs, for a comprehensive mobile Internet experience anytime, anywhere."