Dropbox adds new features for people working from home

Dropbox has added new tools and features to the platform designed to aid in working from home setups and improve productivity.

Dropbox Plus features include Dropbox Passwords, Dropbox Vault and computer backup.

Dropbox Passwords is the result of Dropbox's acquisition of Valt last year and allows users to log in to websites and apps by storing passwords and syncing them across devices. This requires no additional knowledge of encryption.

Dropbox Vault secures and organises users' most important documents and allows them to grant emergency access to select friends or family, so only known people can access the files when needed.

Vault offers an additional layer of security, including a 6-digit PIN, on top of Dropbox's existing security features, the company states.

Computer backup automatically backs up users' Mac or PC folders to Dropbox for secure access on the go and retrieval even when hardware fails or is lost.

The features are available in beta to new Dropbox Plus users on mobile, and will become available to all existing Dropbox Plus users in the coming weeks, the company states. Computer backup is also available to Dropbox Basic and Professional users now.

Dropbox also announced plans to introduce Dropbox Family, a new plan for up to six members with individual account views and logins with unified billing.

The plan will allow users to create a shared Family space to make family photos and important family documents available to all members.

Each individual member will also have space to privately store their files, in addition to all Dropbox Plus features. Dropbox Family will become available to Dropbox Plus users in the next few weeks, and to all later this year.

In addition to the above, Dropbox also unveiled new features and workflows to better support distributed teams. This includes HelloSign eSignature embedded as a native feature within Dropbox, bringing the joint value proposition of HelloSign and Dropbox to users.

The integrated user experience is the first of its kind, and makes HelloSign the default eSignature solution within Dropbox. This new workflow enables users to send, securely sign, and safely store agreements without leaving Dropbox.

This functionality will begin rolling out to users in private beta in the coming weeks, and will become generally available to all users in the next month, Dropbox states.

Dropbox App Center gives users a centralised place to discover and connect tools from Dropbox partners including Zoom, Slack, and Google.

The App Center is available to a subset of users in beta with 40+ integrated partners starting now, and more partners coming soon.

Dropbox CEO Drew Houston says, "The lines between work and home are blurred, and we're all being pulled in a million directions right now. It can feel chaotic and overwhelming.

"We're working quickly to provide new features to help people stay better organised in all aspects of their lives so they can focus on what really matters - like health and family.

IDC analyst and research VP of Content Strategies and the Future of Work Holly Muscolino says, "According to IDC survey data, 31% of workers are concerned about lost productivity due to shifting to work from home.

"However, a recent poll shows that 70% of organisations would be investing in content sharing and collaboration over the next 12 months to support at-home workers.

"With today's announcement, Dropbox has created a single place to help users get better organised at work and at home, to help them stay productive.