Dropbox Morphs into a Collaboration Platform
The file sharing vendor is expanding its collaboration capabilities to extend its functionality, value
Don’t think of Dropbox as a file sharing or synchronization company anymore. The company unveiled new desktop, web and mobile application updates along with new app integrations that are transforming the service into a collaboration platform.
The Lowdown: The updates across the Dropbox portfolio are an attempt to unify the user experience across three mediums — desktop, online and mobile — into a single platform to facilitate better collaboration, communication and information sharing. Dropbox says the new tools, capabilities and extensions for third-party applications will help bring teams together for more efficient operations.
The Details: The new Dropbox release includes a number of improvements, including the ability to create, open, and share Google files (Docs, Sheets, Slides) inside the Dropbox platform; new features for creating shortcuts to Web documents in Dropbox files and directories; and extensions for activating and leveraging third-party applications such as Slack for collaboration and Zoom for audio and video conferencing. Additionally, Dropbox has plans for expanding its partnership to enable in-platform utilization of Atlassian applications, such as Trello for project management Jira for agile product development, and Bamboo for software release management.
The Impact: Dropbox, which has more than 500 million users workwide, is pushing to move beyond its consumer and file sharing roots. The company is aggressively seeking more business customers and is working with partners to uncover new opportunities and facilitate better user experiences. The enhancements and new capabilities to Dropbox to make it more of a collaboration and workspace platform will enhance its value to partners and customers alike.
The Buzz: “The proliferation of cloud files and work apps is staggering, and can make work feel scattered and overwhelming,” said IDC analyst Marci Maddox, Research Manager, Enterprise Content Strategies. “The new Dropbox experience offers a modernized central workspace where users can access all of their files-including web-based and traditional files, seamlessly integrate popular tools, and better coordinate with team members. It’s the first time anyone has natively integrated these new modes of work in one place.”
“Work has become scattered—files are spread across devices, in the cloud, and on our hard drives. We’re working across multiple apps that don’t talk to each other, and teams are struggling to keep up,” said Drew Houston, CEO, Dropbox. “We’re focused on removing the friction from that experience, pulling everything together in a way that nobody has done before. The new Dropbox helps you quiet the noise and find focus at work.”
