Web search giant Google is planning on making data storage online a more viable service for people on the move or the consumer market.

Numerous reports suggested that Google's Gdrive is soon to be launched which will allow users to access files and documents from anywhere in the world on the web-based service.

Although details are still unconfirmed, Google is expected to include a sharing facility which allows friends or colleagues to access files as long as they have been permitted by the storage owner.

But although such a service will increase the flexibility of data storage use, it is unlikely to be a full-time alternative for firms due to the much-reduced security.

Privacy groups have already criticised the Gdrive for its probable lack of file encryption which means that Google – and any successful hackers – will be able to read the documents.

And Google's plan to scan documents for keywords which it can then use for marketing data is also unlikely to sit well with companies.

But the Gdrive may still prove highly popular among the consumer net user market – as long as it can fight off competition from the AOL-owned Xdrive file storage facility which offers users five gigabytes of free data storage.