Otixo Review – Consolidating Cloud Services with Ease

In this day and age of cloud storage, it is safe to say that many of us have different accounts with some of the most popular and sophisticated storage services, but the problem is that not all of us know what file was saved to which storage account.

This is what Otixo aims to address with its offering, allowing users the opportunity to access all their cloud storage accounts and consolidate files in one roof. If you’re having a hard time tracking your cloud accounts, this service may just be what you need.

What Otixo Offers to the Public

Otixo was created by Shannon Thomas in 2010 with the primary purpose of making cloud storage management convenient and simple for its users. The web-based app allows users to connect one cloud account to several others and offers share, download, and drag and drop functions for faster file transfers between services. As a cloud service user, this means that you don’t have to download a file from one cloud storage account and upload it to another just to be able to copy or transfer a file. At present, Otixo can be integrated with some of the most popular and highly in-demand cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Skydrive, CX as well as WebDav and FTP sites – with the list growing as months pass.

The concept of Otixo is not at all new, and to tell you frankly there are other applications that can offer the same functions. As with all services however, one can be completely similar or different from another. Here I’ll discuss Otixo and its features and functions to determine whether or not it is worth using or even trying.

So what can you expect from Otixo? In a nutshell, the service is more like the file manager found in all computers although it focuses on files stored in the cloud and not on your PC’s hard drives. Once the app is connected to your cloud storage accounts, you don’t have to log in to each and every one of them to browse through your files and documents because Otixo’s web interface allows you to view all of them at the same time. Since it is web-based, users don’t have to download a desktop client, and one can simply go online and log in to his or her account from any PC or device that is connected to the internet. Aside from this, Otixo also has collaboration and sharing features that can be used for different cloud storage services without the users being required to sign up for a particular service just so the shared file can be viewed and edited.

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Signing Up for Otixo

Signing up for an online account with Otixo is easy. One will only need to provide a first and last name, an email address, and a password before being given a free account. The free account is not much different from the paid service. The only thing that distinguishes a paid Otixo account is the unlimited bandwidth allowance given to users. For free accounts, Otixo provides 2GB per month in bandwidth so you can share, download, and manage all files. Anyway, once you have provided your credentials, you will be sent an email to confirm the registration. From there, you can begin accessing the Otixo interface right away.

Using the Web Interface

Once verification is complete, users will automatically be redirected to Otixo’s web interface where everything you need for you to access your cloud services is located. What I noticed is that there seems to be a few seconds’ delay with Otixo loading the entire interface, and at first all I could see was a blank page. Based on my research this is a common enough occurrence among Otixo users, but I do hope they do something about this issue as it can be quite annoying for other users who want instant access. Besides, staring at a blank page can be quite unnerving especially for new users, and some may think that something has gone wrong or broken.

Okay, so once the page appears, users will be presented with a sleek interface that is totally clutter-free. Located on top are the tools which you can use for file sharing, previews, attachments, copying and pasting, renaming, deleting, and a few others. The right panel will show various cloud storage services that can be connected to the Otixo account as well as WebDav and FTP sites. The left panel on the other hand will show you the cloud accounts you have connected to Otixo as well as shared files and documents that are for collaboration.

Adding a cloud account to Otixo was painless. What I like about it is that it automatically recognizes the cloud accounts you have and provides you with an option to choose which email account to use for the service. I for example have two Dropbox accounts, and Otixo prompted me to use the account which was already logged in or use another account of my choosing. If you’re not currently logged in to your cloud service, you will be asked to provide your login credentials so Otixo can connect to that particular account. This is what happened when I tried linking CX and Skydrive.

Dragging and Dropping Files

Once users have connected their cloud storage accounts to Otixo, the center panel on the interface will look like a file tree that is commonly found in PCs and laptops. When a cloud service is selected from the right panel, the app shows every folder or file saved on the cloud storage account. From there, one can easily choose a folder, MP3, document, or photo, drag it to the left panel to the cloud service you want to utilize, and drop the file into the cloud account. A progress bar will appear on the bottom left corner to let you know if the process is complete and will automatically fade once the file has been transferred.

Now, for each file you access with Otixo, you will be given a preview option – yes, not just for photos – so you can make sure you’re transferring or modifying the correct file. For documents, you will be give the option to view the file with Google Docs so you can actually preview the whole contents of the folder by just clicking the next or previous buttons provided in the interface.

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File Sharing with Otixo

We all know that not every cloud storage service offers file sharing, and this is what Otixo can help you with in my opinion if you have an account that does not allow this feature between users. What you do is select the file you want to share and Otixo will provide you with a link that you can in turn give to the person you want to share the file with.

You also have the option to share via email and even create a password for the shared file or document for added protection. Otixo also prompts users to specify a certain number of days before the link is considered expired, so one can really utilize this even when sharing sensitive documents.

As for collaboration, Otixo offers what is called Spaces, where you can choose a document, share it with others, and be able to chat with the collaborators in real time. This can be quite handy especially if you handle a team of workers that need to be in constant communication but cannot be in the same area at the same time. Aside from this, collaboration makes it easier for one to share a file with another without signing up for another cloud service just to be able to access a shared file.

Pricing and Recommendation

Along with the free account, Otixo also provides a paid plan for users who need more than the 2GB worth of bandwidth allowance per month. If you’re like me who has several cloud accounts and want to consolidate everything with Otixo, you can pay $4.99 per month for unlimited bandwidth. For the kind of service you’ll be getting, this is not such a bad deal. Plus, you’ll be getting valuable help in managing all your files in the cloud – something that most of us utterly fail to do. Believe me, $4.99 per month is a bargain compared to the nightmare in organization that you have to go through if you decide to consolidate all the files you’ve stored in the cloud.

All in all, I would recommend Otixo to everyone who has a cloud account whether for personal or business use. The convenience it provides is worth more than what you’re asked to pay if you decide to upgrade but if you don’t then you still get the same service nonetheless, albeit with a bandwidth cap per month. If you’re looking for something that can help relieve you of the stress of managing and consolidating your online files, Otixo is one app that you should really try out and it belongs in our Best Cloud Storage Page.

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About Clarence

Clarence is a serial technology junkie. Having spent the previous 15 years serving as a Network Engineer for various IP enabled technologies from Cisco UM to Online Cloud Storage companies. Clarance is now an avid writer for both this site as well as CloudStorageComparisons.com. Be sure to follow Clarence on Google+