WebProNews

RAW files can be handled through the service

Image sharing site SmugMug opened a new service to handle the storage of larger image formats, as well as any other files their users wish to store.

The ongoing shift of people's memories from analog to digital formats led to the creation of ever-expanding storage options. But even the most substantial memory cards fill to capacity, leaving people looking for either more cards, or an option to store their images externally.

SmugMug CEO Don MacAskill said his company's new service, SmugVault, picks up where SmugMug leaves off in terms of storing images. SmugMug provides unlimited storage of common JPEG, GIF, and PNG files; photographers who wish to keep RAW, TIFF, and PSD files among others can opt for a SmugVault subscription.

SmugMug offers SmugVault via Amazon's S3 storage service. They plan to charge 22 cents per gigabyte of storage per month, plus a recurring $1 monthly fee. Data transfer fees vary on gigabytes in and out of SmugVault.

Users manage the storage through their existing SmugMug interface. SmugVault accepts other file types like Word and Excel documents for storage.

The service should appeal to the casual photographer who wish to ensure the safety of their photos and other electronic documents on an ongoing basis. CenterNetworks cited Zoomr's Thomas Hawk on the expense heavy photographers would incur: someone with only 500GB of images would have to pay $110 per month for the storage.