OfficeDrop is excited to announce release of a new free desktop scanning software that connects most scanners directly with Google Docs. This free scanning software, called “ScanDrop,” makes most any scanner a “Google scanner” or a “cloud scanner”.
From a very simple desktop interface, ScanDrop users will be able to scan, verify, organize, re-order, and upload paper documents as PDFs and, from the same interface, upload these PDFs directly to their Google Docs accounts. The ScanDrop software also lets users pick a specific Google Docs folder into which the scanned document will be uploaded and can also name the PDF prior to upload. Scanners supported include the popular Fujitsu ScanSnap, as well as TWAIN standard scanners like the Epson Perfection, Xerox DocuMate, HP ScanJet, Canon LiDE, Visioneer OneTouch, and Fujitsu fi along with many others.
Since we have digitized hundreds of thousands of pages of documents for our clients, we think we’ve got a pretty decent idea of what a simple scanning software should look like. ScanDrop is an easy way for Google Docs users to take advantage of some of the software we created for our own purposes.
Many businesses use the iPhone in their business. With the release of the new iPad, we think there are many applications that if specialized for the iPad, could make Apple’s new tablet a valuable asset for small businesses. We are currently developing our own iPad application, which we think would be a great way to view, organize, and search your documents with the new iPad.
Though the iPhone is designed more like a consumer good than a business tool, the personality of the device didn’t hinder app developers from making a boatload of iPhone apps that make life around the office easier.
All the great business iPhone apps can be downloaded to the iPad, but the iPad will just be a big iPhone until app developers start taking those iPhone business apps and making versions specifically for the iPad. Here is a list of business-focused iPhone apps that we would like to see made into full blown iPad versions.
We love FreshBooks for our online billing and invoicing, so obviously we would love to see the FreshBooks application on the iPad. Paired with the slick multi-touch features of the iPad, online billing would never be easier or more fun.
We use Zoho CRM to keep track of all of our customers and leads. If you were taking your office to go with an iPad, you would want to keeps tabs of all of your customers, and react quickly to any questions or problems. Thought the Zoho team is just working on an iPhone app currently, we would really like to see that functionality ported to an iPad-specific application.
The Apple equivalent of Microsoft Office, iWork will allow you to word process, make spreadsheets, and put together striking presentation with Keynote (Powerpoint for Mac). This application will be made to fully utilize the multi-touch features of the iPad, and will also be compatible with Microsoft-created documents.
As you can see, we like to keep our company blog active and up-to-date. The WordPress iPhone app lets us manage our blog from anywhere, and an iPad app would make blogging on the go even easier. Benefits would include the large display and full touch screen keyboard for added convenience.
What better way to watch over your site’s analytics than on the rich graphical display of the iPad. With the chartbeat iPhone app you access your Google analytics account, and get real-time alerts on stats like average page views, uniques, and sources to see when you’re site is getting hit, and when you’re falling behind.
Those are the business apps we’d like to see on the iPad. iWork and Keynote are already available, and we hope that the iPhone apps mentioned roll out iPad equivalents.
We are very excited to announce that OfficeDrop has integrated with FreshBooks by creating our very own online document management FreshBooks add-on! FreshBooks has compiled a sizeable list of add-ons and we are honored to lend our services to make their online billing service even more helpful. This integration merges the accessibility of your OfficeDrop documents with the convenience of FreshBooks online invoicing. With the OfficeDrop add-on you are able to append a link to the notes section of any FreshBooks document which allows recipients to view and download any selected group of documents in your OfficeDrop account. All of your documents are just one click away from Freshbooks for you and your clients.
For example, with the OfficeDrop integration, a FreshBooks user could attach a projected project timeline and scope of work to a FreshBooks estimate she sends to a prospective client. Her client can easily click on the OfficeDrop link embedded in the Freshbooks estimate and view the timeline and the contract - and the client can full text search within the contract and download it as a PDF.
Freshbooks users will also be able to attach entire folders from OfficeDrop to Freshbooks items. With OfficeDrop’s search feature Freshbooks users and clients will be able to search all the documents to find the specific item. OfficeDrop’s snippit views make it easy to find specific information in files or preview things like purchased photographs or artwork.
Some other great things possible with this integration include the ability to attach:
Scanned paper or emailed receipts to invoices
Project timelines to an estimate
Contracts to an estimate
Photos or artwork to invoices or clients
Word documents to time entries
Or even entire folders of documents and files to all sorts of Freshbooks stuff!
See how it works for yourself in the following tutorial videos we produced covering the integration:
Linking OfficeDrop documents to a FreshBooks invoice:
By linking OfficeDrop folders and documents to an invoice, clients can easily access, download and search any relevant documents.
First you will need an existing FreshBooks invoice or other document that you would like to link with OfficeDrop. Once this is done, log into your OfficeDrop account and locate the folder you would like linked to the FreshBooks form.
To do so, click the small triangle to the left of the folder to bring up the folder actions menu. From there, move down to the options listed under “Link to FreshBooks.” Select the document type that applies (Invoice in the video use case) and you will be shown a list of the designated FreshBooks documents you have created. Then select the document(s) you would like to link the folder to and decide whether this will be a private (recipient will need your username and password to view) or public link (anyone with the link can view). We recommend public link if you are sharing the document or folder with a client. Finally, you can either click “Append to Existing Notes” to add to notes already on the FreshBooks document, or “Replace Existing Notes” to replace them. The link to the shared files will appear in the notes section of the Freshbooks item; this is why you have to choose how to put it into the notes. The system will alert you of the link and the only step left is to return to FreshBooks and send the document to your client, complete with a secure link to the designated OfficeDrop documents.
Setting Up Integration
Step 1: Enabling FreshBooks API
FreshBooks API must first be enabled to start linking OfficeDrop documents.
To do this, log into your FreshBooks account and click “My Account.” From there, click the tab labeled “FreshBooks API.” The last step is to check the “Enable API” button, and you’re ready for the second step.
Step 2: Authorizing OfficeDrop for FreshBooks Integration
The second step in is to authorize your OfficeDrop account to interact with FreshBooks.
First, log into your OfficeDrop account and from the home screen select “tools.” On the resulting screen, there will be a menu on the left with a link to “Add-ons.” Click the Add-ons link, and from there move below the Evernote add-on to the space reserved for FreshBooks. Here you will have to enter your unique FreshBooks URL. You can find information on where to find this URL here. Click “Authorize OfficeDrop” and you will be asked to enter your FreshBooks username and password. Once finished, just click “Allow Access” and you will be able to start linking OfficeDrop documents to FreshBooks invoices, expenses and more.
We hope you utilize our new add-on and enjoy the ease and convenience of FreshBooks online billing with OfficeDrop document management.
OfficeDrop is happy to announce the release of another tutorial video, which demonstrates how to use your OfficeDrop account to share documents online with friends and co-workers. Sharing digital documents across your business is a great way to expedite projects and increase productivity.
Sharing documents online with OfficeDrop is simple and secure
Just select the document or folder you wish to share, and enter email addresses to which a secure link will be sent. You are always in control of your share documents with features like share duration, download access and other security features.
*See the tutorial video below for more in-depth descriptions and examples.
In order to share a single document, move to the document’s options under the document snippet and click the ‘More’ button.
From the dropdown menu, select ‘Share’ and you will be required to fill out sharing options.
Choose Security Options
First specify whether the share is public or private. Public shares can be accessed by anyone with the link you have sent, while a private share limits sharing to a specific email address.
Choose whether to grant printing or download access and whether annotations will be visible.
Designate emails of those you wish to share with.
Edit share duration to choose how long the document is shared.
Personalize the message sent to recipients.
Once finished, hit send and your document will be shared.
Note that under the document snippet, your current active share is shown, along with previous shares of that document.
You can view all of your shared documents from the shared items list located left of the interface, under the labels list.
Also note that OfficeDrop grants you the option of expiring a share so that you always have control of your share durations.
Sharing Folders Online
To share a folder, first click the folder you want to share and select ‘Share’ from the ‘Actions’ menu. You can also access the share button from an individual folder’s options by clicking the arrow to the left of a folder name.
Fill out the sharing form and your folder will be shared.
We hope this tutorial has been helpful. Please leave a comment or contact us with any questions or comments.
We have found that during the uploading and scanning process, people sometimes submit multiple copies of the same document, or submit a document that has been scanned previously. Whether this is intentional or by accident, duplicates can clutter your document list, and take up excess storage. For this reason, there is now a way to see when duplicates are submitted on your OfficeDrop online account.
The New Duplicates Tab
From your ‘Inbox’ tab, which shows current uploads, Users will now see a ‘Duplicates’ tab. When the system senses an upload that already exists in storage, it stores it under the duplicates tab before it is processed. In the duplicates tab, the user is shown which documents are suspected to be duplicates, and which existing documents they are a duplicate of. Documents are suspected duplicates if the user, name and size coincide. The user can then review both documents, and choose whether the suspected duplicate should be processed anyway, or deleted.
Just one of the many ways OfficeDrop keeps you organized. Feel free to leave any questions of comments below.
OfficeDrop is happy to announce the release of another tutorial video, which demonstrates how to use labels within your online OfficeDrop account. OfficeDrop provides you with many ways to keep your documents organized and easy to find online. The labels system lets you assign any number of label tags to each of your documents, allowing you to narrow your document view later. By labeling documents, you only have to see the documents relevant to what you need them for. *See the demo for more in-depth descriptions and examples.
At OfficeDrop, we want you to be able to work with your documents easily and effectively once you have scanned them. Organization tools like labels are there so that our customers can get the most out of document scanning by saving time, and boosting productivity. After all, what good is scanning a document if you can’t find it when you need it?
See the video below for a complete walkthrough.
Recap: OfficeDrop Online Document Management - Using Labels
To navigate labels and narrow search results, click the check box of each label to limit the list view to documents containing that label name. Checking multiple label boxes will further refine your view, while un-checking labels will broaden the list view to documents without those label names. See the ‘displaying” tab at the top of the list to see which labels you are viewing.
To apply a label to a single document, click the ‘apply label‘ button under the document’s snippet. From here you can either choose from existing labels, or create a new one.
To apply a label to multiple documents, check all the documents you wish to apply the label to, and use the ‘apply label‘ button located at the top of the list. You can also choose existing labels or create new labels from this menu.
To delete a label, click the ‘x‘ that appears after that label name. Deleting a label won’t delete any documents, but one click will delete the label without a prompt, so be careful.
We hope this tutorial has been helpful. Please leave a comment or contact us with any questions or comments.
Over the past month or so, we have introduced a few “touch-ups” to the OfficeDrop Application. These are by no-means ground breaking features, but more along the lines of “usability enhancements” and “I can’t believe it wasn’t already there”.
Here are a few of the noteworthy ones:
Context-Menus for Folders and Labels
Folders Menu Screenshot
Labels Menu Screenshot
Now you have a “right-click” for each individual folder and label. Just click the arrow to the left of the folder or label name and you are given a list of options specific to that classification.
Drag and Drop Feature
You can now Drag and Drop documents to both folders or labels. To do this, just click and drag document snippets to either a folder or label in the folder or label menu. Dragging to a folder will move that document from any folder it was in previously, to the new folder. Dragging to a label will simply add that label to the list of already applied labels.
To simplify your organizational process, OfficeDrop has introduced a new feature that allows you to upload documents directly to folders. This is especially helpful if you have a large number of documents to upload, and don’t want to spend time assigning documents to folders one by one. Uploading documents directly to folders which are already in use eliminates the need to search through document snippets in your OfficeDrop account and you can preemptively apply labels as well.
To upload a document directly to a folder:
From your home screen, click the arrow directly to the left of the folder name in the Folder menu box.
From the drop-down menu, select “Upload Files.” This will prompt a menu box.
Assign any labels you would like applied on the left side of the menu.
Click “Upload Files,” and select the document(s) you wish to upload.
Upload as many documents as you wish.
When you are finished, click “Close.”
First select the folder into which you want to upload the file
Second select a folder
Next add labels (if you want) and push the "Upload Files" button
Finally, select the files you wish to upload
Processing will begin immediately and your documents will finish processing under your Inbox tab, as usual. Once they have finished processing, your documents will appear in the designated folder.
We are very excited to announce that OfficeDrop’s award-winning document management service is now available through the Intuit App Center. The Intuit App Center is powered by Intuit Inc. Through the Intuit App Center, small businesses will be able to find tested and proven third-party software applications. For a solution that was especially built with small businesses in mind, we are incredibly excited to be associated with one of the most trusted brands for small businesses.
What makes this partnership especially cool is that, OfficeDrop now integrates with Quickbooks data through the Intuit Data Services (IDS) API. For starters, when you share documents or folders from OfficeDrop, we automatically lookup the email addresses of your Customers and Vendors from Quickbooks, to make the sharing easier. Here is a screenshot that illustrates this.
Share using Quickbooks
If you are a QuickBooks user who is new to OfficeDrop, you can watch this 2 minute video to know what makes OfficeDrop the preferred document management and document scanning service for small businesses.
Early Saturday morning, we became aware of a DNS (Domain Name Server) misconfiguration issue, with our hosting provider, whereby requests to www.pixily.com were incorrectly sent to a parked domain, rather than to our servers. Because of this issue, users may not have been able to access the OfficeDrop website or the online application. Our servers were and are all healthy and running, and your documents, as always, are secure.
The issue has been resolved as of 10:30 AM EDT. However, given that the issue has to do with domain name resolution, it could be a few to several hours before the change is propagated to servers across the internet. So, depending on your Internet Service Provider, you may still be facing the issue. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to expedite the process. If you did have an issue accessing your account this morning, please restart your browser before trying again. My apologies for the inconvenience.
I would like to reiterate that this error was caused due to a configuration issue at the hosting provider. All your documents and your information are, as always, secure. We are following up with our hosting provider to ensure that this doesn’t happen again in the future. Please rest assured that we continue to work hard to provide secure anytime, anywhere access to your information.
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OfficeDrop’s Document Management and Document Scanning Service Blog
OfficeDrop, formerly Pixily, helps small businesses and home offices go paperless and manage their paper and digital documents online. OfficeDrop provides document scanning services and an award-winning online document management system. In this blog, we’ll discuss cool ways customers are using our service to tame their paper problem and get organized. We hope to share tips and tricks we are learning as we scan, image and digitize documents for our clients. We’ll also highlight new features in our document management system, let you know what the press is saying about us and keep you up to speed with the goings-on at OfficeDrop!
