Google’s new cloud import tool makes third-party data transfers a whole lot easier

Whether you’re an average Joe backing up pictures of your family or a huge mega-corporation that regularly moves terabytes of data, cloud storage migration can be a bit of a pain. Aware of your plight, Google is developing a solution that will help enterprise customers move their precious information with less of a fuss. Today, the company announced a limited preview of its new cloud import tool, which makes it “faster, easier and cheaper” to import your cloud storage buckets through Google’s “high performance network.”

In addition to a one-time move, admins can schedule regular transfers and backups from third-party solutions like Amazon or Microsoft. If you’re not trying to migrate all of your data a once, you can also fine-tune your setup to move specific items based on a file’s name or date of creation. Once a data transfer is complete, admins will receive an email notification, along with a summary of the process.

For transfers under 10TB, Google recommends using its gsutil command-line tool to move your data. If your firm is banking hundreds of terabytes, the company says you can ship your hard disks to its upload centers in India, Japan, Switzerland or the United States. However, if your setup fits somewhere between these two situations and you’re looking to relocate your data, you can sign up and sample Google’s new tool to see if it suits your needs.