Google Drive cloud computing storage service to launch this month

Google is reportedly set to launch its much-anticipated Drive online storage service later this month.

A pair of media reports outlined the company's plans for a service which will support both desktop and mobile platforms and will offer users 5GB of free storage space.

News site TheNextWeb cited a Google partner who claimed the service was set to go live next week with Tuesday or Wednesday thought to be the likely release days.

The report suggested that the service would be accessible at drive.google.com and would also be available as a desktop application.

Shortly after that report surfaced, TechCrunch posted what it said was a screenshot from an early build of the OS X Google Drive application.

The screenshot suggested the application would be locally installed and would support integration with other Google applications such as the Docs platform.

Google has yet to issue any formal word on the platform, but multiple reports in recent weeks have outlined a service which would compete with current online storage services such as Apple's iCloud or Dropbox, which offers users 2GB of free storage.

The reports have described the Drive service as both a web-based application and a locally-installed client application.

Drive is likely to be offered as an Android application, as well as versions for OS X and Windows, and potentially other platforms possibly supported too.

The launch would add Google to a growing list of companies which offer storage and backup services for consumers and small businesses.

The company has long been among the largest providers of hosted applications in those markets with its Apps platform.