Microsoft gets stingy with free online storage

The company just cut the free space it offers through its OneDrive service by two-thirds, making it the second major company to retreat from a consumer cloud-storage boom that tempted users with price cuts and ever-larger free offers.

Amazon eliminated a free 5-GB storage plan this year, although it still offers that amount to those who pay for its Prime loyalty program.

Subscribers to Microsoft’s Office 365, which offers word processing, spreadsheet and other apps starting at $7 a month, will now be limited to 1 terabyte, or 1,000 GB, of storage.

The company is killing off an unlimited option that it said a “small number of users” had abused by backing up numerous personal computers and storing entire movie collections.

Under CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft has emphasized mobile and online services such as OneDrive over traditional sales of Windows and Office software for personal computers.

Microsoft didn’t explain why it is cutting back its storage offer, or why it had advertised an “unlimited” option if actually using large amounts of storage posed a problem.

Microsoft says it will give people time — up to a year in some cases — to remove files that exceed its new limits.

Users get 2 GB for free, but can earn bonuses by getting friends to sign up or by uploading photos automatically from phones.

Amazon offers unlimited photo storage and 5 GB for video and other files for $12 a year, or $1 a month.