Dropbox and Office 365: a match made in heaven?
Recently, the CEO of Dropbox announced that the cloud storage system had reached a total of 200 million users, including 4 million businesses. Drew Houston also announced that the company was keen to increase the number of Dropbox business users. Microsoft’s OneDrive is a similar service, meaning that Dropbox and Microsoft have long been seen as competitors, but changes have now been announced that show a very different reality.
Dropbox and Microsoft working together
Despite offering very similar services, Microsoft and Dropbox have chosen to work together to the benefit of both companies. Users of Dropbox and Office 365 will now find that the two work seamlessly together. The change is said to have ‘broken down walls’, and will increase ease of use and productivity for mobile workers.
Changes to the Dropbox app
The Dropbox app for mobile phones now features Microsoft Office integration. Users will be able to edit Office documents and files straight from Dropbox on their tablet or phone. The same is possible in reverse, with mobile workers able to use files that are stored in their Dropbox straight from their mobile Office applications. This functionality is available on both iOs and Android devices. Users, of course, will still be able to use OneDrive instead of Dropbox if that’s their preferred cloud storage system.
The importance of seamless connectivity
Microsoft’s CEO has said that “people need easier ways to create, share and collaborate regardless of their device or platform”, indicating that many companies will benefit from working closer together and not competing. As a result, Dropbox and Microsoft will be extending their partnership to offer the same connectivity for Windows phones and for PC and browser-based use in early 2015.
For mobile workers, these changes are sure to make life easier. As more and more devices and apps work seamlessly together, it will become easier than ever to upload and download files, make use of cloud computing and conduct meetings and presentations. Users will no longer need to circumnavigate restrictions, and will not be forced to use a certain service or provider. They can make their own choices, to suit their individual needs.
