Microsoft & Dropbox Integrate Office Apps
One of most popular functions of Microsoft OneDrive is vast ecosystems of SaaS applications that are available to edit many of the file types you are storing in the cloud. Dropbox, an innovator in cloud solutions, has reached a deal with Microsoft to port many of their Office applications over to Dropbox users. Many analysts believe that this new deal will allow Dropbox to use similar versions of the Office editing tools provided by OneDrive. This move will help Dropbox attract more storage users as other solutions continue to innovate by incorporating different features and functionality into their cloud storage apps. Analysts continue to mention that could be one of the ways Microsoft is showing that they can “play nicely with others.”
The agreement allows for backward flexibility for current OneDrive and Dropbox users. Dropbox users can use Office tools to edit their files and connect to their OneDrive account while OneDrive account users can use the new partnership to connect into their Dropbox accounts. Mobile applications that highlight many of these new features will be released on Android and iOS within the next few weeks. A Windows Phone app is reported to be in the works as well.
Ilya Fushman from Dropbox is quoted as saying, “Today, Dropbox has 300 million users, of whom 70% are international, and a ton of them use Dropbox to get work done; These people have uploaded something like 35bn Office files. Today, they get a great experience on the desktop, but what we’re doing now is taking that experience to mobile and the web.”
Amanda Lefebvre from Microsoft commented on the deal by saying, “The other thing to note is that this has been one of the top customer requirements; We want to be working where they are working, so this is a win for Dropbox and Office users.”
