Dropbox’s bid to build a smarter workplace

The first feature is folder context. This enables users to add information to folders, allowing fellow collaborators to know a folder’s contents without looking at the files it contains. The second pillar is machine intelligence, which consistently scans folders to show each collaborative user only the files that are relevant to them. The third feature is the integration with other productivity tools. Spaces currently has integrations with G-Suite, Zoom, Slack and Hellosign, with Trello support in the pipeline. Marc says Dropbox is looking at “all of the productivity tools out there in the market.”

Say you have a weekly sales meeting at 1.45. By connecting Spaces to your Gmail calendar, when you open your Laptop at 1.45 the app will pull up the latest sales figures automatically. Because of Spaces’ G-Suite integration, the file it pulls could be a Google Sheet (Spaces also allows users to create G-Suite files from the application itself.) 

Through these three features, Dropbox hopes to end the inefficiencies of switching between multiple environments. The Slack integration, for example, allows messages to be sent from within documents that appear as document comments. If your colleague spots a glaring copy error, they can immediately launch a Zoom call to address it, without having to actually call up Zoom.

“This is the smart workspace, and this is how we are imagining the workplace of the future,” says Marc.

New territory

Spaces represents a substantial shift in business strategy, one that the company no doubt hopes will differentiate it from rising rivals such as Box. Like all trajectory shifts of its kind, moving into unknown territory was a sizeable risk. But Marc says it was simply the next step in the company’s evolution.

“We needed to take the next step. We were the first company to create a file sync and share app. Now file sync and share has become the standard. We had to find the solution for the next big challenge.”

Dropbox, which Marc says prides itself on healthy workplace culture, roadtested Spaces with its 2900-strong workforce. Almost all of them soon placed it at the centre of their digital environments. Marc claims he has never touched Finder since he got his hands on the first release – back when there were no integrations and the only feature was folder context.

“Just imagine you have a folder that you can give context to. You can describe the content, you can add tasks to it and mention people to deliver documents into that single folder from within your Dropbox app. This is fantastic. This has made my work life easier. And this for me is the key component. That’s my personal KPI.”

“Our customers are saying that [Dropbox Spaces] wasn’t something that they expected from us. But they totally understand the problem that we’re solving because everybody feels this pain. Right from the IT decision-maker to the business decision-maker. Every person working in an office feels the pain.”

Does Dropbox think Spaces is the magic bullet to workplace productivity? No. Marc says the application is just one part of a comprehensive strategy that must be complemented by collaboration and communication.

“Enabling success is not just about technology. The biggest part is culture – focusing on your employees again and helping them to focus without distraction. Whenever you implement new technology, ask your employees. Don’t just decide on something. Make tests with them, let them try the software and make sure it really enables them to focus and don’t implement software that just brings more distraction.”

Dropbox will certainly hope its Smart Workspace is number one on the list of new software that companies pitch to their employees.