Archive for the ‘Product’ Category

Getting Files into OfficeDrop

Friday, December 30th, 2011

It’s easy to get files into OfficeDrop. We offer several ways you can quickly get your important documents into the OfficeDrop cloud filing system.

Here are the different apps you can use to get files into OfficeDrop:

OfficeDrop on Android
OfficeDrop on iPad
OfficeDrop on Windows Desktop (note: download starts immediately)
OfficeDrop’s Windows ScanDrop Scanner Software
OfficeDrop’s Mac ScanDrop Scanner Software

And, of course, you can always login to OfficeDrop via the web to upload and manage your documents.

We’ve recently created a video explaining some of the ways you can get your files into the system.

click.to to OfficeDrop

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

 

OfficeDrop and click.to are excited to announce the newest OfficeDrop API integration – click.to to OfficeDrop!

With click.to, you’ll be able to CTRL+C (⌘+C on a Mac) any file on your desktop and send it directly into OfficeDrop’s cloud filing system. It’s super easy, really fast and a great new workflow for the power OfficeDrop users.

Get click.to to OfficeDrop for free by clicking the following link:

click.to OfficeDrop Video

Here is how the integration works:

Select any file and press CTRL+C (⌘+C on a Mac). The OfficeDrop logo will pop up; simply select it and the file is stored directly in the cloud. Users don’t have to fumble with multiple open windows, dragging and dropping, or leaving their current screen.

Special for OfficeDrop Users

OfficeDrop is the first click.to partner to have folder integration. This means that a user can choose an OfficeDrop cloud folder to upload into at the time of clicking! We are really happy that click.to made us the first to have this integration, and we know it’s important since our customers are very aggressive folder users.

There is a little set up required at first to get click.to to choose a folder. First you’ll have to type in the name of the folder that you want to upload into. If that folder already exists click.to will put the document directly into it; otherwise click.to will create the folder for you and put the file into it. We know this is a little bit of an effort the first time you try to pick a folder, but we appreciate the development effort that the click.to team put into creating the folder integration specifically for OfficeDrop. They intend to refine the folder selection UI in the future.

Setting up click.to to OfficeDrop

Here is a quick video that helps you set up the click.to/OfficeDrop integration.

Learn more about the click.to OfficeDrop integration here.

Document Phrase Search

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

One of OfficeDrop’s most powerful tools is the document search engine that comes with each OfficeDrop account. You can find words, numbers and phrases within your files – fast!

OfficeDrop’s search is a little different than traditional document search that you may be familiar with, because OfficeDrop looks within your files for the search. This includes doing something other services don’t offer – optical character recognition “OCR”.

OCR and Document Search

OCR (optical character recognition) is the software we use to turn a simple scanned image of your paper into a fully text-searchable digital document. Once OCR is employed, applications can recognize individual characters and effectively “read” the document. OCR is the software that makes it possible to text-search your scanned documents.

Document Phrase Search with OfficeDrop

Many of our clients have thousands of files stored in the OfficeDrop system, so narrowing down the search quickly may seem daunting. Thankfully, with document phrase search, finding the right file quickly becomes a lot more manageable.

Here is how phrase search works. Use quotation marks around a series of words to narrow down your search to words that appear in that specific order. So, if you put “invoice number” in quotes in the search box, the OfficeDrop search would first return results with those words next to each other.

Phrase Search

Phrase Search

That’s how easy it is! And phrase search works on your mobile devices as well, so you can use it on the go.

Login now to try using phrase search.

Updated OfficeDrop Android App

Saturday, November 12th, 2011

OfficeDrop Android Update Means Faster Speeds, Better Functionality

OfficeDrop’s Android app just got the shot in the arm that users were looking for. The app now boasts faster speeds, which enable quick sharing, searching and sorting of scans from mobile devices. The additional speed, a convenient desktop shortcut, and the ability to search your documents from outside of the app represent an improved cloud computing experience for OfficeDrop users.

How does it work? OfficeDrop’s Android update uses your device’s SD card to instantly cache documents once scanned, making the app faster and more responsive for users. Thumbnails are now stored locally and in the cloud, which means no more waiting for thumbnail images to load before you can start searching, sharing and otherwise working with your docs.

“The reason OfficeDrop users love our Android app is that it simplifies their lives. It keeps their documents constantly at their fingertips and helps them stay ever-connected to the cloud,” explained OfficeDrop CEO and Co-Founder, Prasad Thammineni. “Users wanted faster document access, and that’s exactly what this update delivers. Less waiting and fewer steps means more time is spent being productive.”

Another new feature that speeds up the document management process is the option to search for OfficeDrop documents directly from Android’s Google search bar. Just click the search bar and choose the OfficeDrop icon to instantly find the item you need.

OfficeDrop’s developers understand that it can be a pain to scroll through all of your apps every time you want to open OfficeDrop on your Android. The new update automatically creates a shortcut to OfficeDrop on your home screen, giving you easy access to the files that are important to you.

Try the OfficeDrop Android scanner app today!

Get the app here!

The Cloud Makes All Services Frenemies

Tuesday, October 18th, 2011

An important business philosophy that we have here at OfficeDrop is the concept of “Frenemies” – we will work with other services that would historically have been considered competition if it makes sense for our customers. It means that we value our customers’ workflow and actively look to integrate our cloud filing system with other online, cloud and SaaS services that our customers are using. Our customers are small businesses who want to move to a “digital office” and away from having their different work processes silo’ed into particular, proprietary applications.

What’s a Frenemy (or Frienemy, depending on how you spell it)?

We believe that the cloud has changed the way software will be used. Old, desktop software that wrote special, unique and proprietary files and that trapped your data are out. Remember when a file could only be opened by the program that created it? Well, in the cloud all the smart providers have open APIs, which means your data can now be pushed (securely, of course!) from one application to another – making it easier for you to get your work done. This means that our service may have to work with other online storage companies, or companies that have overlapping features. Should we be competing with these companies and avoid integrating with them?

No.

We can only survive if our clients WANT to use our service. They can get their data out at any time, so we need to offer the best paper-focused, searchable storage service we can – and let customers use other best in class services in conjunction with ours – like our FreshBooks document management integration. We’ve got an open API, and if someone who might be close in features wants to connect with our service they are very much able to create a tight integration with the OfficeDrop service.

OfficeDrop Articles on the Frenemy Concept

Prasad wrote about how competing in the cloud is making companies frenemies in TechCrunch. Today he penned one on “Building a Business Around Frienemies” for FastCompany.

Frienemies

Updated OfficeDrop iPad App

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

The moment we’ve been waiting for has arrived! OfficeDrop’s iPad app is now updated and available in itunes!

Version 2.0 of the OfficeDrop iOS App

With Version 2.0 you now can use your iPad’s camera as a scanner.

iPad scanner

iPad as a scanner

Digitize receipts, invoices, contracts – any paper you collect for your business when your iPad is handy! You can create multipage PDFs, either by using the app for several scans in a row, or by selecting multiple items from your iPad’s camera roll. Of course, once uploaded, any and all items become text searchable PDFs in the OfficeDrop system.

Improved folder navigation

The new iPad app makes it even easier to find the exact file your are looking for in the OfficeDrop cloud filing system.

cloud folders

iPad Cloud Folders

We’ve taken customer feedback and dramatically improved the layout, look and navigation that you can use to get to your folders.

Press on the OfficeDrop iPad Update

Tech reporters at Bostinno and Lifehacker have already covered the update to our app. We particularly like the conclusion to the Lifehacker piece, “if you’re looking for an iPad app to scan and save paper documents digitally, OfficeDrop is a good, free alternative.”

Introducing ScanDrop Lite for Mac

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

We are very excited to announce the newest addition to our cloud paper management product family – Mac ScanDrop Lite! This awesome little app lets Mac users scan paper directly into the world’s leading cloud storage services for FREE. It is a starter product for our paid Mac ScanDrop scanner software as well. 

ScanDrop Lite will allow you to scan up to 15 pages per month into Dropbox, Evernote, Google Docs, Gmail or your Mac’s local disk. You can also scan unlimited amounts into OfficeDrop’s cloud filing system. Read the press release below.

OfficeDrop Releases Free Mac Scan-to-Cloud App and Updates Paid Mac App

Free ScanDrop Lite Lets Users Scan Paper Documents Directly to the Cloud or Local Disk, Improved Paid App Adds Document-Splitting and Features Unlimited Uploads

Cambridge, MA — (August 31, 2011) — OfficeDrop today announced a free addition to their ScanDrop for Mac app lineup, ScanDrop Lite. The company also introduced an update to the paid ScanDrop for Mac software. ScanDrop is a scanning software application that digitizes and organizes scanned documents directly to the cloud or to a Mac’s local disc.

Here’s what’s new:

ScanDrop Lite is a brand new free app from OfficeDrop, available for download in the Mac App Store. Like the original version of ScanDrop, users can scan documents directly to the cloud with ease. With the lite app, users can:

  • Upload 15 pages per month to a variety of cloud programs including Google Docs, Gmail, Evernote and DropBox
  • Upload unlimited pages to OfficeDrop’s cloud filing cabinet

ScanDrop for Mac ($9.99) has significant updates, including:

  • Unlimited uploads to either OfficeDrop or any of its cloud services integrations (Google Docs, Gmail, Evernote or DropBox)
  • Document splitting, which enables users to upload multiple pages at once, then split them into separate documents

For example, an HR administrator could upload a new hire’s paperwork using ScanDrop, then easily separate it into multi-page documents, differentiating the employee’s healthcare application from the W-4 form. These documents could then be tagged and sorted into appropriate folders. Pages also become text-searchable once scanned, so they can be easily found when needed.

Both ScanDrop Lite and ScanDrop for Mac now have:

  • Syncing of cloud tags, folders, collections and notebooks when scanning to Gmail and scanning to Evernote. Users can look up cloud metadata (like tags) that they have already created, and sort documents as they are scanned
  • Powerful tools to create better PDFs, including the ability to preview, rotate, crop, delete and drag-and-drop to reorder pages prior to upload
  • Automatic attachment of scanned documents to Gmail and other popular desktop email programs
  • OCR (optical character recognition) for Google Docs users, Premium Evernote users and users of OfficeDrop’s digital filing system

“We are excited to bring a free version of our ScanDrop app to market, reaching new users and allowing them to scan and store unlimited documents in OfficeDrop’s digital filing system,” said OfficeDrop CEO Prasad Thammineni. “Additionally, the ability to separate pages from bulk scans into individual documents is a valuable tool that our users have requested, and we are pleased to provide that functionality in our paid ScanDrop app. We believe these developments will help us continue our mission to give paper new life in the cloud.”

ScanDrop works with the majority of scanners currently on the market. The software can be installed and connected in minutes. Download ScanDrop Lite or ScanDrop for Mac at the Mac App Store. A limited lite version of ScanDrop for Windows is also available for free download on the OfficeDrop website.

About OfficeDrop

OfficeDrop makes it easy for small businesses to scan paper to the cloud and access documents from anywhere, at any time, from any device. OfficeDrop’s cloud filing cabinet lets users sort, search and share documents — giving paper new life and making it collaborative! Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, OfficeDrop was founded in 2007. Paper. Digital. Anywhere. Find out more at www.officedrop.com.

OfficeDrop Android – A Top 10 Office App!

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

officedrop android in tech radar - a top 10 android office apptechradar has a great piece listing the Top 10  Android Office Apps – and OfficeDrop’s Android App makes the list.

Awesome!

The article starts out by saying, “Fortunately for business-minded users, Android has many third-party options offering similar collections of fully compatible office apps, optical character readers, scanners and converters, all ready to let you use your phone for something a little more useful than moaning on Twitter all day.”

And then, specifically about OfficeDrop’s Android Scanner App, the article says:

OfficeDrop is another doc scanner and reader, only it comes with its own “web-based document portal” allowing users to access and manage their scanned receipts and docs via desktop as well. Files scanned in via your Android phone’s camera are converted to PDF format, with the app letting you search through, label and organise the results.

Check out the article! Or get the app in the app store by scanning the QR code below.

OfficeDrop Android QR Code

OfficeDrop Android QR Code

Email Document Management with OfficeDrop

Monday, August 22nd, 2011

email document managementOfficeDrop power users know the power of OfficeDrop’s email document management feature, and every few months it makes sense for us to remind our newer users how easy it is to email documents into OfficeDrop.

Emailing documents into OfficeDrop works just like uploading documents into OfficeDrop. The email bodies and attachments in any of the supported formats will be processed to your OfficeDrop account, just like the documents you mail in or upload. It’s document management through email made easy!

How OfficeDrop Email Document Management Works

Each OfficeDrop account gets its own unique email address, which is <your-username>@myofficedrop.com. As an example, f the username you use to login at OfficeDrop is sarah32, your OfficeDrop email address will be sarah32@myofficedrop.com.

OfficeDrop handles attached documents. So, documents attached to the email, in addition to the email itself, will be uploaded into your OfficeDrop online digital filing system. OfficeDrop currently supports over 25 file types, including: PDF, TIFF, JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, TXT, HTML, DOC, XLS, and PPT.

Of course, everything becomes text searchable and it’s easy for you to find documents you email into OfficeDrop just as you’d find documents that get uploaded or scanned into the system.

Fight Spam and Uncontrolled Emails

Nobody wants their OfficeDrop document management portal stuffed with spam emails or documents, so we’ve built safeguards into the system that help protect you from spam. You can provision/allow different email addresses to send files into your account – but this system works on a permission basis, meaning you have to give permission to anyone before they can start emailing documents into your account.

By default, only the email id that you provide while registering with OfficeDrop is enabled to send you email. So, if you provided sarah32z@gmail.com while registering with OfficeDrop, you can already send emails from that email id.

You can modify the settings by clicking into the “tools” “upload via email” links in your account (click here and log in to visit this page.)

Most of our users allow individual email addresses to send files into their account. However, you can also give permission to everyone in your company if you’d like by allowing everyone from specific email domains to email you. In other words, everyone who’s email ends in at “yourcompany.com” can be configured to send emails into your account.

We highly recommend that if you have multiple email accounts that you use then you should make sure you give those email addresses permission to email into your OfficeDrop account.

The following image also explains how to modify these settings:

Email to OfficeDrop 

Email to OfficeDrop

Advanced Email Document Management Features

Sending emails directly into specific folders and adding labels

Your emails and their attachments can be sent into specific folders at the time you send the email. By adding a simple string into your email’s subject you can change where it goes. Add #Folder: customers/acme corp to the end of your email’s subject line to send it into the “acme corp” folder. To add a particular label, the syntax is the same: #Labels: label1,label2,label3 in the email subject.

OfficeDrop iPhone App

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

OfficeDrop is very pleased to announce that we have an iPhone app! The new app brings you the power that you would have if you were using your computer’s web browser – but now you can access at any time and anywhere. Best of all, the app turns your iPhone into a multi-page PDF scanner, so you can capture paper documents and convert them into text-searchable PDFs on the go. Create PDFs, search PDFs, view and organise PDFs – all on your iPhone. We know that users of the OfficeDrop Andriod app are really into OfficeDrop on their phone – and we hope that iPhone users will be too!

Get the iPhone app here!

Scan Paper, Text-Search, Browse, Share Documents and More from your iPhone

With the iPhone app, users can snap a photo of a paper document and scan it directly to the cloud. Once an item is scanned, users can browse the document, apply labels, search text using OfficeDrop’s Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, share and access documents from anywhere with OfficeDrop’s cloud filing cabinet.

OfficeDrop iPhone App Video

Using the App

When you first log in using the iPhone app, you’ll see your OfficeDrop folders. You can browse to specific files just as you would if you were looking for files on your computer’s hard drive. Simply touch the folder and navigate to the document you want.

You can also navigate by labels; simple hit the funnel icon in the top left and select the labels (or folders if you want) and only look at items with those particular labels.

The funnel also allows you to find your favorite or recent documents.

Search

Search is, of course, the best way to find your documents. At the bottom of the app’s screen you’ll see the search button. Touch that to text search within your documents. Since OfficeDrop makes the documents you upload into the system totally text searchable, you know that finding your files is only a quick keyword search away.

Scan from the iPhone

The newest iPhones have pretty decent cameras, which means they can be used as a scanner replacement when you are on the go. Using the OfficeDrop app you can scan multipage PDFs quickly and easily from anywhere.

Push the upload button at the center bottom of the app to start scanning. You can either use images already in your phone’s photo gallery or snap a new photo using the app. If you take a picture with the camera using the app you’ll have the option to crop the image, rotate it, add a second (or third, etc) page. At the time of upload you can select a destination folder and add labels. You can also store the item locally, but it will only get OCR when uploaded. If you are in an area without cell phone coverage the app will store the scan on your phone and upload it when you get back into good reception.

“We’re changing the way people collect and share information on the go,” explained OfficeDrop CEO Prasad Thammineni. “By using the iPhone as a powerful scanning device, our users can share documents with teams in seconds, and search all of their items in the cloud, regardless of their location. OfficeDrop is making remote working easier than ever.”

The OfficeDrop iPhone app is free to download, and connects with OfficeDrop’s cloud filing cabinet. The free version of OfficeDrop cloud filing system gives users 1 GB of storage, 50 pages of text-searchable scans per month and will produce the top three search results.

This app compliments our Android Scanner app; and iPad users should expect a refresh of the existing iPad app in the near future.

Get the app here!

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