In a move set to solidify its prevalence in the realm of cloud storage, Microsoft has unveiled the third generation of its esteemed OneDrive platform - infusing it with an AI-infused Copilot system, an aesthetic overhaul in line with the principles of Fluent design, and a raft of improvements designed to enhance the experience for businesses leveraging cloud documents.
OneDrive is a powerhouse of document storage, hosting countless files for both consumers and businesses alike and boasting an impressive influx of 2 billion files on a daily basis. With the recent upgrade, Microsoft is underscoring its commitment to enhancing the end-user experience on OneDrive, particularly for enterprises, with improvements focused on the ease of file management and collaboration on various platforms - web, Windows or Office apps.
With the latest update, Microsoft aligns its primary OneDrive web app with the novel Fluent design which brings it in perfect harmony with Windows 11 as well as the updates to Office apps. This upgrade integrates seamlessly with recent changes to the File Explorer design.
The revised application comes with a new feature: an 'AI-powered' section titled 'For you', positioned at the top for quick accessibility. This section surfaces those files that are pertinent to your work routine. The convenience is that it can surface files not only from your own OneDrive storage but also from Microsoft Teams and other locations.
This development emphasizes Microsoft's commitment to making OneDrive an all-in-one hub for document management. The updated interface also provides a dedicated shared view that collects all files shared via Teams, emails, and any other platform that facilitates document sharing with you. To add further smoothness to the process, the company has also enhanced the primary sharing UI along with an improved streamlined process for file permissions management.
Enhancements to file collaboration have also been made. Introducing a new 'people view', this function facilitates easy file collaboration by identifying files based on faces or names associated with them. The user can filter this view by name or pin the contacts for easy access. Folder personalization is also a new introduction with the ability to select the folder colors, a preference that also extends to sharers of the folder.
Demonstrating the practicality and user-centric approach of the new update is the much-welcomed ability to bookmark, or 'favorite', your OneDrive files. This feature is consistent across platforms i.e., Windows 11, OneDrive web version, among others. This means if a folder is bookmarked in the File Explorer on Windows 11, it continues to be available in the favorites on the OneDrive web interface.
The search experience within OneDrive is also getting an AI-boost, simplifying the process of identifying friends and family within stored photos. This feature will initially be tested with a limited consumer preview, which will begin this month, with plans for a public preview in early 2024.
Further enhancements to document creation within OneDrive have also been made with the forthcoming introduction of an 'add new' button. Slated for launch by next summer, the update provides a list of template suggestions for various documents, such as presentations, with the ability to preview them on hovering or initiate from a blank canvas.
OneDrive is also accelerating in speed and accessibility, offering improved offline support. Microsoft reports that OneDrive's web platform now launches at double its previous speed. Features like instant sorting, better scrolling, and enhanced offline support are part of the platform's upgraded mechanics. In the near future, users can expect to operate OneDrive in the browser without requiring an internet connection. The browser version will also now support Files On-Demand, enabling offline file access. These features, previously limited to the OneDrive desktop application, are projected to arrive early 2024.
One long awaited feature that business users of OneDrive have asked for is the ability to open any document from Web OneDrive in the native desktop apps. Fulfilling this request, Microsoft is planning to add this feature by December, facilitating direct openings for document types common in business settings like CAD files or PDFs. In addition, it's introducing a new media view that houses all photo and video assets in a single place.
The OneDrive update will also be made available soon in the files section of Microsoft Teams and the file navigation component of Outlook. Microsoft anticipates the availability of the new OneDrive view in Outlook by December.
This expansive and comprehensive update for OneDrive illustrates Microsoft's commitment to establishing it as a reliable and holistic solution for document management. Solutions like OneDrive, and similar modern no-code platforms like AppMaster, are both striving and achieving in revolutionizing document and app management for businesses worldwide.
