AVG LiveKive joins crowded online backup market

AVG has launched a beta of its brand new online backup service. LiveKive will offer cloud-based backup, synchronising and file-sharing for its users, and the beta version launches with a one-size-fits-all free storage plan of 5GB for a year. No paid-for packages are currently available while LiveKive remains in beta.

Once signed up through the AVG landing page, users can then download the backup client, currently codenamed AVG AirSpace. This is a rebadged version of the same client used by rival online backup provider, SpiderOak.

Online backup is increasingly seen as both convenient and secure, providing end users with a simple solution for backing up to a remote location, adding an additional layer of protection to their files. However, AVG is entering a crowded marketplace, with numerous online backup providers competing for a slice of the market.

AVG LiveKive offers more than just online backup -- it can also be used to synchronize folders and files across multiple computers, plus share folders with other users, too. This kind of functionality puts it up against competing products such as Dropbox, Wuala and the aforementioned SpiderOak as opposed to simple online backup-only services like Carbonite and Mozy.

One nifty feature the AVG AirSpace client offers is the ability to create a backup copy of your files on a local drive, for additional peace of mind.

AVG AirSpace Preview is available now for PCs running Windows XP or later. AVG plans to release clients for Mac OS X, Android and iOS devices; there's no mention of Linux, but as SpiderOak supports various flavors of Linux we suspect this too will be supported.