Introduction
Dropbox is a cloud file sharing service by Dropbox Inc., offering solutions in file sharing and cloud storage. In comparison to other standard cloud storage solutions like Google Drive, Dropbox provides a few unique advantages, such as integration into your computer’s file navigation software, higher security, and a dedicated sync process that is faster. Because of these, Dropbox is a more business-oriented cloud storage solution, capable of protecting more sensitive information and sharing quickly with others. In the workplace, Dropbox benefits from fast syncing especially, having been used to make edits to a document, and having the final file be shared with another company in a matter of minutes, fully updated and ready for review and formal publishing with the appropriate security measures necessary to make sure sensitive information is protected, and obtainable in a timely manner.
Background
Dropbox was launched in 2008 as an early cloud storage solution. The founder conceived of a more accessible, public, and user-friendly file sharing service after frequently forgetting his flash drive of information at home and sought to set up a dedicated service for individuals and businesses alike. Dropbox has since grown to have 500 million users; it has developed multiple targeted file sharing and collaborative processes, such as Dropbox Paper, allowing multiple users to edit and collaborate on documents in various formats.
Process
Dropbox is relatively intuitive, and it can be integrated seamlessly into a user’s computing system to be accessed from file searching software or directly from the desktop, without an internet browser to facilitate. Dropbox can share photos, pdfs, Word documents, or other files quickly and easily and is capable of uploading up to 100GB of documents in a single transfer. Additionally, with its sync optimization, these transfer times are rapid. Dropbox takes advantage of its fast time syncing to share files quickly. They also allow users to encrypt and password-protect their documents, to improve the security of their system heavily. This ensures that only the intended recipients can view the shared files. Dropbox does also have a few collaborative processes, such as Dropbox Paper, allowing multiple users to create and edit documents simultaneously.
Brand information
Dropbox is available for businesses and individuals alike, at $20 per user, per month for companies with unlimited storage or $10 a month for 2TB of storage for individuals.
Use in Education
Uses in education
Dropbox can be used in education to allow for a more streamlined opportunity for students and educators to share file information. One key feature of Dropbox is the ability to share files with varying permissions, allowing documents and files to be transferred only to be available for a limited time or password-protected. Educators could share time-sensitive projects with students and be able to lock them after a specified time automatically. Dropbox could also be used to share course materials with other educators and have them be password protected to ensure the information is correct in possession of the chosen individuals.
References
- Google. (n.d.). Personal Cloud Storage & File sharing platform. Google. Retrieved May 4, 2022, from https://www.google.com/drive/
- Homepage. Dropbox. (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2022, from https://www.dropbox.com
- Compare all dropbox plans ‐ dropbox. Dropbox. (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2022, from https://www.dropbox.com/plans
- Paper. Dropbox. (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2022, from https://www.dropbox.com/paper