Microsoft is one of the oldies in terms of technology. They are a veteran in the industry and are themselves, iconic. In contrast Dropbox is one of the newer and more modern takes on what a tech company now means and subsequently offers. That said, the two are far from being mutually exclusive. In fact according to Dropbox they currently house over 35 billion Microsoft Office documents spreadsheets and presentations. With that type of crossover in mind it might come as little surprise to know that Microsoft and Dropbox are entering into an integration-partnership.
In the most basic terms, the partnership will allow users to be able to access Dropbox directly from Microsoft apps and in return will be able edit Office files in the Dropbox app. In slightly more detailed terms the announcement made today advises that the integration will allow users much more freedom when creating Office documents. Any Office files created through the Dropbox app will automatically be able to be started in one place and finished somewhere else with instant and automatic syncing across devices. Likewise, any images or attachments you have in Dropbox which you want to include in an Office document will be extremely easy with Dropbox accessible from within the Office app. Another example of the benefits listed is the ability to instantly share documents through Dropbox. Once an Office file is created users can simply send links to colleagues, friends or whoever.
If you are a current Office and Dropbox user then this partnership will be of immense interest to you and probably will allow for a much more streamlined approach to working on Office documents. The announcement advises the changes to the relative apps will begin rolling out over the next few weeks and will be available to both personal Dropbox and Dropbox for Business customers. The announcement concluded with a very brief reference noting that next year the two companies will also begin integration of the Dropbox website and Office Online. So what do you think of this new partnership? Will it make your work life easier or would you prefer to keep the two separate?