Symantec is to offer a cloud backup storage service for consumers, similar to the Mozy, Carbonite, and Spare Backup services

Symantec's consumer cloud storage is available from April 1, according to Janice Chaffin, the president of Symantec's cloud division, as reported by Reuters.

Spare Backup supplies its cloud backup as a vanilla service to be branded by OEMs such as Carphone Warehouse when they sell it on to their customers.

This is a consumer-focussed storage service from Symantec and separate from its Online Backup service for businesses.

Symantec's online storage services are based on technology acquired with SwapDrive in June last year. That online storage service cost $123 million and the purchase followed EMC's acquisition of the company behind the Mozy service. In case we think Symantec is starting from last place it reminds us that, thanks to Norton 360 users, it backs up six times more consumer PCs than either Carbonite or Mozy.

Presumably it thinks that there is a much bigger market out there, just waiting to be accessed, beyond the bundled-with-Norton market. ®

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