Dropbox has found itself fending off competition lodged by Google Drive and Microsoft's OneDrive after having the cloud storage service market to itself in its early years. To counter the challenge, the company has undertaken a massive reinvention as demonstrated in the recent release of two new productivity tools: Paper and Smart Sync.
These solutions are expected to establish a more comprehensive platform for work, as they address the requirement for collaboration and seamless access and syncing of files for individuals and organizations.
Paper Now Out Of Beta
The public first got a glimpse of Paper last August 2016, when Dropbox released a build for beta testing. Essentially, it is a platform widely seen as a Google Docs rival. Aside from the ability to create documents, it features collaboration capability that allows multiple users to create, modify, and comment on files.
It is being marketed as a flexible workplace that can bring people and ideas together. Rob Baesman, the company's head of product, told The Verge that the application is "one part online document, one part collaboration, one part task management tool, one part content hub."
Dropbox hopes that with the app, it could lure OneDrive and Google Drive users while keeping its current customers happy.
The company announced that Paper is now out of beta, and the public build's debut comes with the introduction of several features. This includes 21-language support and the capability to access files from anywhere. Offline access is also said to be coming soon as well.
Smart Sync
Dropbox users probably knew Smart Sync as Project Infinite, which was unveiled in London during the Dropbox Open event in April 2016.
This new service will enable a user to access Dropbox files and folder on the desktop regardless of whether it is saved on the hard drive or the cloud.
"With Smart Sync, all your files and folders can be viewed in Windows File Explorer and macOS Finder, even if they're not stored locally," the Dropbox team said in a blog post. "And when you need them, files and folders are just a double click away."
Pricing And Availability
Paper is free for everyone and can now be downloaded by users on their desktop and mobile devices. You will, however, need to pay for a Business or Enterprise plan if you want to use the app's administrative functions. Smart Sync, on the other hand, is free for business users. It is also available for free to those who will be selected to participate in its early access program.
