Zoho overhauls WorkDrive, the one-stop file suite

Zoho Corporation, a privately held company that offers the most comprehensive suite of business software applications in the industry has rearchitected its unified file system (UFS)—WorkDrive—to provide the underlying file management across all Zoho business applications, allowing for unified search, single storage, contextual integration, as well as many other vertically integrated capabilities.

Businesses today are seeking file management rather than simple document storage; multi-level security, compliance, and auditing rather than basic permission-level security; and enterprise-grade systems as opposed to one-off applications and patchwork platforms. With processes cutting across the platform, services, and application layers of Zoho's comprehensive technology stack, WorkDrive is changing the way businesses do work and offering the value that is otherwise unavailable in the market.

"Context is key for unified file systems. The business workflow of the sales department, for example, will differ from that of an HR department, and so on. Businesses are looking for a system that takes into account the disparate needs of each team within an organization and operates in the unique context of a given business's workflow," said Raju Vegesna, Zoho Chief Evangelist. "This context can only be achieved if the vendor providing file storage is the same vendor creating and maintaining the business applications using it. Across the industry, file service solutions are either cobbled together through acquisitions or offered piecemeal by multiple vendors. WorkDrive is the first of its kind, bringing together storage, permissions, and workplace apps at a tremendous value to businesses."

Zoho is also announcing its revamped Workplace suite, which includes Cliq, Notebook, Connect, Writer, Sheet, Show, Showtime, Mail, and Meeting. Among other new capabilities, Workplace now features an integrated app dashboard that houses customizable widgets that display information from each of the nine apps included in the suite. Here are some of the key features of WorkDrive and the revamped Workplace suite:

• WorkDrive for Better Team Management and Collaboration
• WorkDrive comes with a built-in Zoho Office suite (Writer, Sheet, and Show).
• WorkDrive introduces Team Folders, a shared workplace with role-based member permissions for cross-team collaboration and storage.
• WorkDrive deploys virus scanning, encryption, and WAN acceleration at the platform level, thereby strengthening all Zoho services and applications built on top of it.
• WorkDrive introduces image, video, and document conversion services.
• WorkDrive is integrated with Zia, Zoho's AI assistant, providing unified search as well as OCR in applications such as Zoho Notebook.
• WorkDrive provides administrators advanced analytics, data administration, and granular access controls.  
• WorkDrive has an advanced external file-sharing feature, allowing users to collaborate with external stakeholders while maintaining control of the files.
• External users who have edit permission can add files to a shared folder or edit shared Zoho Office Suite files.
• WorkDrive brings businesses advanced team management capabilities, allowing administrators to manage settings at the team and Team Folder levels.

A New Workplace for a New Workforce  

• Zoho Sheet is integrated with Zia, Zoho's AI assistant, giving customers automatic insight into their data, data cleansing, and even the ability to scan data tables within images and convert them into spreadsheets.
• Zoho Cliq allows users to build bots, custom message actions, commands, and schedulers that connect with other workplace tools to centralize and consolidate data.
• Zoho Writer gives users the power to create documents with fillable fields and publish them as a web form to collect responses or generate merged documents (docx/PDF). Users can deliver the merged documents via email or send the filled document for signature.
• Zoho ShowTime offers on-demand training with ticketing and course completion certificates, allowing trainers to reach customers across time zones and provide flexible learning.
• Zoho Mail features email retention and eDiscovery whereby admins can retain organization-wide emails for a specified period and easily search across those retained emails and retrieve relevant information.
• Zoho Notebook is enhanced by Zia, Zoho's AI assistant. Users can employ the Ask Zia feature to save content to Notebook, search for notes, set reminders, and share notes with voice commands.

SOURCE Zoho

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