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Organizing your paper into Evernote just got easier

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

OfficeDrop already has an integration with Evernote (see our first blog post about it here), but now organizing your paper and digital documents using the two services just got even easier! Come, visit us at the Notable Tech Event today in San Francisco to learn all about this. If you can’t make it, no worries. Just read on.

With this new feature, you can now link entire OfficeDrop folders to any of your Evernote notebooks. This means that paper scanned into your OfficeDrop account that you put into linked folders will automatically be available in the Evernote notebook that you’ve linked to it. As always, documents labels carry over, maintaining all of your organizational work.

You can link folders to notebooks, simply by using the “Link to Evernote” action in the context menu for a folder. Once linked, the folder has the evernote icon next to it to signify that the folder is linked to a notebook.

Folder linked to evernote

You can view all the linked folders and a log activity with Evernote for documents in those folders from the Addons page

List of linked notebooks and activity log

With OfficeDrop and Evernote, it is now even more easier to stay organized and never forget a thing!

Posted in Document Management, OfficeDrop, Paperless, Pixily, document scanning service, partnerships | 1 Comment »

Pixily is now OfficeDrop!

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

We are excited to announce that Pixily has changed its name to OfficeDrop! We hope that this new name will be easier to remember and help customers more quickly understand our services.

What won’t change

For our customers the name change means little more than easier spelling and some snazzy new logos. We are in no way changing management – and our employees, procedures and security protocols will remain completely unaltered. This includes our hand-picked scanning team and friendly customer service reps.

You should not experience any change in service. If you visit Pixily.com you will be redirected to officedrop.com. All of our features should continue to work as they have in the past. The best way to email documents into your Pixily account is now [username]@myofficedrop.com, but your [username]@pixilymail.com will continue to accept emailed documents as well.

You may wish to authorize “officedrop.com” in your email system’s spam filter. Please contact customer service if you encounter any issues with our service. You can reach us by phone at 888-674-6493, over email at support@officedrop.com of via the “chat with us” feature on our website.

Why the change?

We decided to change the company name both to increase recall (OfficeDrop is a lot easier to spell), and to create a label that more explicitly reflects the service we provide. We love name Pixily and everything it stands for, but we found that customers – even active users – had real issues spelling and remembering the word “Pixily.” We’ll continue to wear our Pixily t-shirts with pride, but are excited about our new name!

Why OfficeDrop?

We picked the name OfficeDrop after a long search for a new name. We feel that it succinctly describes what we do: making it easy to organize the paper and digital files of small businesses and home offices. Actually, a better way to say it is that we believe OfficeDrop describes what OUR CUSTOMERS have told us that we do for them.

In a blog post tomorrow we’ll go over the process we used to find a new name – it involved the entire company brainstorming, lots of customer and advisor feedback and a healthy dose of soul searching.

Thank You

We owe a really big thank you to all of our customers who helped us during this process. So many of you spoke with us and took our naming survey. We really appreciated your responses and were impressed with the thought that many of your put into the survey! We also heard those of you who said that you really liked the name Pixily. We do too, but we hope that we’ll be able to convince you that OfficeDrop is just as great of an organization!

We hope you approve of the new name, and we look forward to serving you as OfficeDrop.

Sincerely,

Prasad Thammineni
CEO and co-founder

Posted in Document Management, OfficeDrop, Pixily, Small Business, document scanning service | 4 Comments »

WSJ Reviews Some Home Office Paper Technologies

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

The Wall Street Journal recently reviewed a couple of pieces of hardware that you could use to help you manage your paper in your home office. Katherine Boehret looked at the PlanOn System Solutions Inc.’s $300 PrintStik PS905ME (a printer) and the ScanSnap S1300 (a scanner). While she liked the small size of each, she did not love either device. The small printer sounds like it comes with a number of drawbacks, including using a funny + expensive thermal paper and printing on paper that comes in a single, long roll.

She appreciated the ScanSnap’s software because it is very easy to use and install. Katherine’s main complaint on the ScanSnap is that it is probably not good at handling old or fragile documents. I’d agree with this, but point out that even OfficeDrop’s expensive industrial scanners are not meant for fragile paper. Instead, we flatbed these materials - as should you. I’ve got an older ScanSnap on my desk, and while it does not provide the same level of beautiful scans as our multi-thousand dollar scanners, it does a great job for the size and price. We continue to recommend ScanSnaps to our customers who want to do their own scanning.

Posted in Document Scanners, Paperless, Paperless Champions, Small Business, document scanning service | No Comments »

Pixily Mentioned in VentureBeat and the Virtual Legal Assistant

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

OfficeDrop’s document management and document scanning solution has had a couple of great mentions in some good blogs.

VentureBeat

Brent Frei, co-founder of Smartsheet.com, and previously the CEO of Onyx Software wrote a piece for VentureBeat on the coming battle of “software portals.” Brent is discussing how businesses are becoming more and more comfortable using cloud based software, and believes that certain software providers (SalesForce, Intuit and Google) will become the dominant platforms where small businesses purchase all of their software products and services. Basically, different online software companies will develop integrated products that run on and are sold through specific large company cloud/distribution platforms.

As Brent discusses the Intuit Workplace and suggests small businesses “Round out your … Intuit Workplace with Document Management from OfficeDrop.”

The Virtual Legal Assistant

The Virtual Legal Assistant mentions OfficeDrop as a great way to get your law office organized for the new year. They suggest that OfficeDrop is a good solution for the “solopreneur” looking to manage a reasonable amount of paper documents.

Posted in Document Management, Marketing, Pixily, Press coverage, document scanning service, partnerships | No Comments »

Small Business Tax Dates: W-2 and 1099 forms due January 31

Monday, January 18th, 2010

We know it isn’t fun, but staying organized for tax season can save you many hours of sorting through piles of paper and receipts come deadlines like January 31. It is usually recommended that you keep a number of categorized folders to keep all of your tax-relevant documents in check. With OfficeDrop’s online document manage system, you can do just that, except without the sharpie and paper folders. Assign digital folders and labels to keep all of your tax info organized in one electronic storage.

Scan wage records for the W-2

The W-2 form, used to return information about wages paid to employees is required of employers by January 31^st. If you have a number of invoices or other documents relating to employee expenses, they can be easily scanned and organized with OfficeDrop. Once they are in your OfficeDrop account, you can organize them with labels, folders, and search all documents - giving you instant access to the resources you need for a W-2 form.

Scan non-employee invoices and more for the 1099

Also due by January 31^st, the 1099 form requires information return of many expenditures besides employee wages. Information required includes: Subcontractor payment, healthcare payment, royalties, rents, and attorney fees. That’s a lot of information, so it’s imperative that you keep it all organized, and in one place. This can all be done on your OfficeDrop account.

OfficeDrop makes taxes easier

Our online document management system makes it simple to organize your tax documents, and keep them organized. Our mail-in system allows you to mail us your documents securely, and we will do all the scanning for you. Scan receipts, invoices, bills, and organize them from your account anywhere the internet is accessible. If you are uploading files already on your computer or in your email, you can now upload those documents directly to a folder or labels you have made.

If you are making tax decisions, you should consult your tax advisor since the rules change often and may be different in your are. We aren’t tax attorneys or tax advisers, so make sure you are getting the right advice for your situation.

Posted in Benefits, Taxes, document scanning service | No Comments »

Top Nine of ‘09

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

We’re all looking forward to the New Year here at OfficeDrop, but have found ourselves thinking back on the events of the last 12 months. To bring closure to the passing year, we’ve compiled a list of the top 9 most helpful/ popular blog posts of 2009.

Our Top Nine of ‘09:

1. OfficeDrop Scans Google QR Code

Google brought about a new level of business advertising with the new QR code. We showed you how to scan your code and spread your business. You’ll be sure to see more of the QR code in 2010.

2. How Long Should I Save Tax Documents?

OfficeDrop makes storage of your tax documents easy and hassle free, but how long are you meant to hang on to this information? This post was especially popular and will become especially helpful come April.

3. Scanning Documents to OfficeDrop using Snow Leopard and Preview

Apple’s new OS made document scanning easier by allowing you to scan, view and correct files through the image preview. In this helpful blog post we provide a video informing you of how to get the most out of document scanning with Snow Leopard.

4. Steps to Create the Paperless Office

Going paperless is both productive for your office, and friendly toward the environment. In this blog post we’ve provided you with some important steps to move you in a paperless direction.

5. Count Your Documents (Series)

In our ‘count your documents’ series of blog posts, we help you answer the question “how much paper do I have?” You can use these guides to determine the paper count in your boxes, shelves, cabinets and unbound paper.

6. Online, DVD, USB, and Hard Drive: Finding the Best Storage Medium for Your Digital Documents

There are a lot of ways to store your digital documents. This post will give you a price breakdown of each option, and description of when each is most effective.

7. OfficeDrop Launches Information Site on Document Scanning Services

Some big news of ‘09 was the launch of Documentscanningservice.com. Powered by OfficeDrop, Document Scanning Service is a free resource for those who want to know all the facts on document scanning.

8. Remember Everything, including paper, with OfficeDrop and Evernote

At OfficeDrop, we are really happy to have integrated with Evernote. With OfficeDrop and Evernote, you can get to your scanned documents without an internet connection. Find out how to use OfficeDrop and Evernote!

9. OfficeDrop iPhone Interface: The other side of ubiquitous capture

These days, mobile access is huge. OfficeDrop offers a mobile optimized web page so you can access all of your documents on the go on your iphone.

Those are our top nine of ‘09. Hope you found them helpful. Let us know your thoughts on OfficeDrop, blog topics, or the past year by commenting below!

Posted in Document Management, Document Scanners, Organization, Paperless, Paperless Champions, Pixily, Product Features, Taxes, document scanning service, partnerships | 1 Comment »

Pixily Launches Information Site on Document Scanning Services

Friday, December 18th, 2009

We are very excited to announce the launch of documentscanningservice.com, a resource center for small businesses looking for information on document scanning. As OfficeDrop continues to grow we’ve noticed that there are recurring questions from business owners about how to best use an outside vendor for document scanning services.

We hope that documentscanningservice.com will be a resource center that helps educate people on the important questions to ask when embarquing on a scanning project. The document scanning learning center includes information on making documents text searchable, DPI, storage mediums for digitally scanned images and more.

Of course, visitors will also be able to sign up for OfficeDrop’s document scanning services right from the site! We hope you find this resource helpful; let us know your thoughts.

Posted in document scanning service | No Comments »

Count Your Documents: Unbound Paper

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

Estimating how many documents you have is the first step in starting to convert your paper documents. However, with paper hiding in all sorts of forms, it can be difficult to know how much paper is in each store. Here is the second of several posts to help you estimate the paper volume in your office.

Paper Piles

Maybe you don’t exactly have your papers stored in a box or cabinet. Maybe they’re just…in piles. No need to worry, we have you covered. Paper stacks can be measured and estimated by the inch so you can start scanning them away.

Unbound Paper

Unbound paper piles have approximately 150 to 175 pages per inch.

Posted in Paperless, Pixily, document scanning service | No Comments »

Count Your Documents: Boxes

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Estimating how many documents you have is the first step in starting to convert your paper documents. If you are going to go paperless, you need to know how much paper you have! However, with paper hiding in all sorts of forms, it can be difficult to know how much paper is in each storage medium. Here is the first of several posts to help you estimate the paper volume in your office. Hopefully this will help you get ready for your document scanning project!

What’s in all these Boxes?

They’re square, heavy, and hold a lot of paper. How much paper, you’re wondering? Here are some standard estimates to help you see how much paper you have hiding in boxes.

standard-file-box2 banker-style-boxes3

15″ x 12″ x 11″ standard file box would contain approximately 2,000 to 2,500 pages

30″ x 12″ x 11″ large banker box would contain approximately 4,500 to 5,000 pages

box-page-count3

*Keep in mind these are estimates for full boxes.

Posted in Paperless, document scanning service | 1 Comment »

Online, DVD, USB, and Hard Drive: Finding the Best Storage Medium for Your Digital Documents

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

When you sign up with OfficeDrop document scanning service, we give you options as to where your data can be stored. In addition to online data storage, OfficeDrop provides data storage in the form of DVDs, USB memory sticks, and external hard drives. Options are great, but you may be wondering which one is right for you. Size, price, and storage methods will determine the best storage medium.

Here are some suggestions to make your document scanning service most convenient for you:

Online Database (Multiple Scale Storage)

We believe that storing your files online is by far the most versatile, time effective way to access your document images. Documents can be accessed from any computer with an internet connection, anytime, and don’t require any physical storage. Online storage is billed per month by page and you can store 3,000 pages for under $20 per month. We highly recommend online storage for any business but provide the following alternate storage options to meet consumer preferences.

DVDs (Small to Medium Scale Storage)

The average DVD can store around 5 gigabytes of document images (5,000 – 10,000 images). DVD storage is cheap and effective if your office is well suited to store DVDs, which are used infrequently enough that locating and storing disks doesn’t become most of your workday. Physically storing DVDs is relatively simple, as they can be stacked easily in just about any bookshelf.

USBs (Small to Medium Scale Storage)

The USB drives we provide have a capacity similar to a DVD, but are the more expensive choice. Extra costs for USB drives will pay off in their added durability, portability, and easier file sharing. If the data you’re storing finds itself being passed around a lot, a USB may be the more convenient choice for you. Storing a single USB drive is easy, but if you need more than a couple, locating the correct one right away in a drawer can be inefficient.

External Hard Drives (Large Scale Storage)

An external hard drive is a great choice for those huge document blocks that can’t fit anywhere else. An external hard drive is the recommended storage medium for storage projects that are 250 gigabytes and up. Pricing for hard drives is done by images, starting at $25 for 5,000 images with discounts for higher volumes. If you’re up to your ankles in DVDs or USB drives, it’s probably a good time to consolidate that information on an external hard drive. Over 50,000 images, an external hard drive almost always makes sense due to its ease of use and price. Storing all of your information in one place is organizationally sound as well as ideal for sharing a high volume of information over your network at once. External hard drives are also a preferred choice when security is a priority. External hard drives can be locked away physically if frequent access is unnecessary.

Data Storage Comparison Table:

Here is a table to help you compare our storage options and pricing.

Hopefully we have helped you choose the document scanning service that is right for you. If you are still unsure of which method would work best for your business, feel free to contact us directly with questions via email or phone. At OfficeDrop, our aim is to make your digital document storage simple, easy, and affordable.

Posted in Document Management, Pricing, document scanning service | 2 Comments »