Many software applications create files with unstructured data: be it Word documents, images or scans. The developers of the applications usually create the functions for storing and managing these files themselves. However, it would often be better to integrate existing solutions. For example, there are powerful file management platforms on the market that companies use for digital collaboration.
Klaas Freitag, CTO, ownCloud
“With powerful file management platforms, application developers can offer end users extensive functionality and great convenience right from the start,” explains Klaas Freitag, CTO at ownCloud.
“Often, they just develop simple filesystem-based components at the beginning and are then gradually confronted with more and more new requirements and requests. If application developers instead integrate a platform for file management, their application immediately benefits from features that they themselves often didn’t even have on their radar.”
These features include, in particular:
Easy access. End users can easily upload and download files over the Internet. They have a choice of different clients, such as web, desktop and mobile clients, which are available for all common operating systems such as Windows, Mac, iOS and Android.
Convenient sharing. Files can be shared conveniently. The application and end users can store files in a structured way in directories, make them available for retrieval and download via public links, or create special directories for uploading specific files.
Custom metadata. The platforms can handle comprehensive metadata. This includes not only standard information such as file creator or timestamp, but also any individual metadata. This makes files classifiable and efficiently searchable.
“Suitable platforms provide application developers with APIs for file, sharing and metadata management for integration, as well as flexible authentication and authorization methods for user management,” Freitag explains. “Ideally, they also have the ability to make the platform completely invisible to end users or customize interface colors, logos and fonts as needed, seamlessly integrating the platform into the design of their own application.”
Based on press release published in PRCOM. It has also been featured in IT Daily.
