As one of the many online file storage and web hosting service providers,  MegaUpload does not stand out immediately at the first sight, not only because of the limited right it provides to the unregistered user, the need to download and install a program and a higher subscription fee to be a superior user, but also because of the amount of disturbing commercial advertisement that would pop out while using it. However, a look in depth gives MegaUpload a chance to be special and appealing to certain target users.

SWOT analysis of megaupload.

Strength:
1. Large maximum file size: Even for a free-user, the maximum size per file is as big as 2GB, which would be enough for a medium-size video clip. Therefore, to enjoy the freedom to upload whatever you would like to share with your friends, from this point of view, MegaUpload is a good choice.
2.Fast uploading and downloading: MegaUpload enables its users to upload/download files at a speed of about 6 times faster than using a web browser, and also allows resume of broken uploads/downloads, which is a great function that both saves time and resources.
3. Batch link checking: You can know which links are still valid before you start downloading. If you are a premium user, you can download any number of files with a single click.
4. Traffic exchange program: This function is appealing to people such as a shareware author or blogger providing popular content to the world, who would like to add clicks on their webpages.  Megaupload’s traffic exchange program will return the traffic your uploadings have brought to Mega. It works in this way: when you upload a file, you can provide a unique Traffic Exchange target, and then you get fresh visitors that don’t come from your own Megaupload link, but from the same country with your Mega visitors. In this way, your own website is brought to more people. This exchange is of great help especially you are running an advertisement champagne.

Weakness:
1. Few spectacular strengths:
    Having a brief look at the services that MegaUpload supplies, it’s not difficult to find that only one of them seems to be special, which is the traffic exchange service. However, this is only accessible for premium-users and not all users would need it.
2. Limited rights for free users deprives them the opportunity to try it out for free and then use at cost:
    It’s not difficult to find out that the difference of rights between premium-users and free-users (members or non-members) is large. For example, premium users can upload/download any file with no maximum file size and unlimited total amount, while for free-users, they can only upload files that is no larger than 2GB and with a maximum volume of 200GB. Also, services like which makes it lose a number of potential users who would like ‘hotlinks’ and ‘remote servers via FTP or HTTP’ are not available to free-users. However, free-users are potential premium-users who would pay for the service they get. The limitation here deduces the opportunity of transition from free-users to premium-users.
3. Inconvenient for use:
To use MegaUpload, a download of Mega software is needed. This causes the inconvenience when the user tries to get access to his/her account in a computer other than his/her own.
4. Not clear of ads:
    For users who hate to be disturbed by commercial ads, the fact that even you are a premium-user you would be disturbed by ads now and then, not to mention free-users.

Opportunity
From the analysis of Strengths and Weaknesses, we know that Mega is not outstanding as a provider of online storage, and due to the limited service for free-users and a higher subscription fee to become a premium-user, it is not attractive to ordinary users whose need is just to share files with their friends. However, for users who would like to promote their own websites, Mega seems to be a nice choice because of its Traffic Exchange Program. If Mega can improve this service and use it to attract more users, it will be welcomed by a certain group of users.

Threat
The main threat is from other websites that provides similar service while charges less, or gives free-users more rights. If it can’t exploit more attractive functions and more unique service, it will lose its competitiveness in its field of business.

Personal Suggestions:
1. Instead of listing services (possibly less attractive) that are common with other similar websites, be clear about its features on the homepage.
2. Instead of providing so limited services to free-users, try to provide the same(or similar) services to free-users at a limited time-period. In this way, they would be able to try it out for free and then decide if they would like to pay for this service.
3. Exploit more features to attract certain target users, for example, download statistics for users who would like to keep a track on who are downloading their files.