UPDATED 14:52 EDT / SEPTEMBER 25 2014

Dropbox celeberates iOS 8 with new mobile release

dropbox ios8Cloud storage powerhouse Dropbox Inc. is marking the much-anticipated launch of Apple’s iOS 8 with an updated version of its client app that takes advantage of the new functionality included in the new release and that bolts several other major improvements on top.

The freshly released upgrade adds a Dropbox widget to the built-in Notification Center that makes it possible to check on files without having to open the app, which simplifies what was previously a complicated task. Rather than having to fire up the client and navigate to the appropriate folder, users can now simply review their alerts for concise information about new documents and changes, including everything from edits to renames. Personal and work-related updates are displayed under different tabs, but a consolidated view is also available.

Another major enhancement is a feature that rival Box, Inc. hails as one of the most popular features on its service: shared folders. For the first time, iPhone and iPad holders can grant peers access to groups of files instead of having to individually share each item with every single recipient, an involved process.

The catch with Dropbox’s freemium implementation is that all users can edit folder contents, which  may not play well in business environments. The ability to set permissions requires a paid subscription.

The upgrade reflects the traditionally consumer-oriented Dropbox’s growing focus on the much more lucrative enterprise market, where strict security and compliance requirements make for a much more complex competitive landscape. The addition of business-specific notifications and shared files brings the firm a step closer to matching the data-driven policy enforcement functionality recently introduced by arch-rival Box Inc., but it’s a step forward.

Dropbox isn’t abandoning its core consumer following, however. The update also introduces the ability to directly move files to and from other apps, a feature that is just as useful for a recreational user wanting to import a family photo as it is for an enterprise worker needing to update the company database.


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