The new ownCloud version contains significant improvements for much easier collaboration on files. By supporting the Web Application Open Platform Interface Protocol (WOPI), it will be possible in the future to integrate Microsoft Office Online Server into ownCloud. Users can benefit from increased compatibility with MS Office formats and the visualisation of the familiar Microsoft Office user interface in ownCloud. The new file locking feature prevents version conflicts from occurring when editing a document at the same time. In addition, the tagging feature has been enhanced with “static tags” that can be used to attach specific policies to individual files.
ownCloud 10.1 and the corresponding apps are now available for download at www.owncloud.org/download.
Enhanced Collaboration for Office Users
With the new release, the developers emphasize their ambition to further develop the file sharing software into a comprehensive collaboration tool and to put an even stronger focus on productivity and content collaboration in the future. The integration of Microsoft Office Online is an important step in this direction. In earlier versions, open source solutions such as Collabora Online and ONLYOFFICE have been integrated. Enterprise customers can now also edit documents stored in ownCloud with Microsoft’s Office Online solution. This enables companies to run an Office environment on a private, secure server with the familiar user interface and full compatibility with all available Office formats.
Reduced Conflicts Through File Locking
In addition to support for Microsoft Office Online, ownCloud 10.1 includes WebDAV Locks, another useful feature for collaborative document editing. For example, if an ownCloud user edits a document using Office Online, other users can only make changes if they edit the document together also in Office Online. This prevents other users from performing conflicting changes to this document over a certain period of time. In this way, conflicts during synchronization are prevented, making collaborative editing much more efficient. Locked files are identified by a symbolic key symbol in the Web interface.
Improved Tagging Options for Admins
The “Collaborative Tags” function was further developed for ownCloud 10.1 in order to achieve more automation in file management. In future, administrators will be able to create static tags and make them available to specific user groups. In applications such as the File Firewall, Document Classification or Workflow App, these tags can then be provided with certain guidelines, so that, for example, certain files can only be opened by individual user groups (e.g. executive management, department heads, etc.). Static tags are visible for each user, whereby only certain user groups are authorized to assign or remove the tags.
Cloud Federation with OpenCloudMesh 1.0
ownCloud 10.1 supports the open standard “OpenCloudMesh 1.0”. This makes it possible to connect ownCloud instances and to exchange information across them. Thereby a worldwide network of many decentralized nodes is created, whereby each is subject to the complete control and the individual compliance rules of the respective operator. The further development of OpenCloudMesh in cooperation with other open source providers includes a clean interface and better stability and thus creates a basis for future improvements.
Increased Transparency for Admins with Semantic Versioning
With the release of ownCloud 10.1, the switch to Semantic Versioning will take place. This is a significant relief, especially for administrators, as the version number of each future release provides a faster overview of content and upgrade processes by following a Major.Minor.Patch logic (or Breaking.Feature.Fix).
Major versions containing major changes, such as architectural changes, can also result in interface incompatibilities. Minor versions bring new functions and can also contain changes to the database. Patch releases, on the other hand, fix security gaps or bugs and can usually be installed with minimal downtime.
A detailed overview of all changes can be found in the Changelog (https://owncloud.org/changelog/server/) and the Release Notes (https://doc.owncloud.com/server/administration_manual/release_notes.html). ownCloud 10.1 is now available for download at https://owncloud.org/download/.
About ownCloud
ownCloud is the market leading open source content collaboration solution worldwide. ownCloud enables users to securely access and share data from any device, anywhere in the world. With more than 200,000 installations and 25 million users, ownCloud provides organizations a modern collaborative experience, thereby boosting productivity without compromising on security. At the same time, it gives organizations the visibility and control required to manage sensitive data.
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