Information management of data associated with multiple cloud services

1. A system configured to provide access to data, the system comprising:

at least one hardware processor; and

at least one data storage device, coupled to the at least one processor, and storing:

instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor

associate a set of computing devices with a user of an information management system,

wherein the set of computing devices includes a mobile device having wireless communication capabilities and a laptop computer, and

wherein both the mobile device and the laptop computer are owned by or assigned to the user;

assign one or more information management policies to data from the set of computing devices;

receive multiple data files from the set of computing devices;

analyze each data file to generate an identifier for each data file;

generate at least one preview version of each analyzed data file,

wherein the preview version has less data than the analyzed data file;

receive, from at least one computing device of the set of computing devices associated with the user, a query related to an analyzed data file; and

provide at least one preview version of the analyzed data file and the identifier of the analyzed data file to the at least one computing device,

wherein the one or more information management policies include a distribution policy that specifies how to synchronize data files from one of the set of computing devices to another of the set of computing devices, and

wherein the at least one preview version is provided to the at least one of the set of computing devices associated with the user in accordance with the distribution policy.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the preview version is based at least partially on the capabilities of the at least one computing device that will display the preview version to the user.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more information management policies include a distribution policy that specifies a source directory on one of the set of computing devices that is synchronized to another directory on a different one of the set of computing devices.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, respond to a request from at least one computing device of the set of computing devices for a live browse session from the user by enabling the user to view a user interface of one of the set of computing devices from another of the set of computing devices.

5. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium, carrying instructions to perform a method to be executed by at least one data processor, the method comprising:

associating a set of computing devices with a user of an information management system,

wherein the set of computing devices includes a mobile device having wireless communication capabilities and a laptop computer;

assigning at least one information management policy to data from the set of computing devices;

receiving multiple data objects from the set of computing devices;

collecting and analyze each data object to generate an identifier for each data object;

generating at least one preview version of each collected data object; and

providing the at least one preview version of a collected data object and the identifier of the collected data object to at least one computing device of the set of computing devices associated with the user,

wherein the at least one information management policy includes a distribution policy that specifies how to synchronize data files from one of the set of computing devices to another of the set of computing devices, and

wherein the at least one preview version is provided to the at least one of the set of computing devices associated with the user in accordance with the distribution policy.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , wherein the preview version is based at least partially on the capabilities of the at least one computing device that will display the preview version to the user.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , wherein the at least one information management policy includes a distribution policy that specifies how to synchronize data objects from one of the set of computing devices to another of the set of computing devices, and wherein the at least one preview version of a collected data object is provided to the at least one of the set of computing devices associated with the user in accordance with the distribution policy.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , wherein the at least one information management policy includes a distribution policy that specifies a source directory on one of the set of computing devices that is synchronized to another directory on a different one of the set of computing devices.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, respond to a request for a live browse session from the user by enabling the user to view a user interface of one of the set of computing devices from another of the set of computing devices.

10. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium carrying instructions, which when executed by at least one data processor, performs a method for managing data from multiple sources, the method comprising:

associating data and metadata from a set of computing devices of the user,

wherein the set of computing devices includes a mobile device having wireless communication capabilities and a laptop computer,

associating one or more hosted service accounts with the user,

wherein at least one of the one or more hosted service accounts is an account with a social media service provider;

providing information management policies to data objects for at least one computing device of the set of computing devices and the one or more hosted service accounts,

wherein the information management policies includes a distribution policy that specifies how to synchronize data files from one of the set of computing devices to another of the set of computing devices, and

wherein at least one preview version is provided to the at least one of the set of computing devices associated with the user in accordance with the distribution policy; and

providing, for display on the set of computing devices, indexing information for at least a subset of the data objects.

11. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein an information management policy provided to a subset of the data objects received from at least one computing device of the set of computing devices is different from an information policy assigned to a subset of the data objects received from the one or more hosted service accounts.

12. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:

generating the indexing information for at least a subset of the data objects.

13. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:

providing to the user a unified view of the data objects across at least two computing devices of the set of computing devices of the user; and

synchronizing the data objects across the at least two computing devices of the user.

14. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 ,

wherein the information management policies include at least one user-defined information distribution policy; and

wherein the method further comprises distributing and synchronizing the data objects among at least two computing devices of the set of computing devices of the user based on the information distribution policy.

15. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:

providing a closed corporate collaboration environment wherein the data objects are exchanged and synchronized across at least two computing devices of the set of computing devices of the user, using resources of a private information management system, to avoid the data objects being exposed to third parties by being stored or controlled by third party data storage sites.

16. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:

permitting an organization to comply with data retention regulations by receiving and managing the user's data objects, including the user's data originating from at least one computing device of the set of computing devices; and

permitting the organization to respond to unexpected data losses, including the loss of the at least one computing device or a service outage by the one or more hosted service accounts by actively managing copies of the data objects from the at least one computing device and the one or more hosted service accounts.

17. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the information management policies are provided, at least in part, by an employer of the user.