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We work in a small office of architects where we have a lot of project folders that are typically filled with documents, drawings etc. We regularly back these up onto hard drives and archive some of the information when the server is full but would like to leap into the 21st century and .... the cloud.
Ideally we want a system where our emails could easily be dragged and dropped into project folders so that the whole team then has access to them without having to use the recipients email.
I've been looking at Office 365 but can't really see if it has that function?
I'm sure this all sounds entirely archaic but any tips would be gratefully received. Thanks.
If you're using Outlook you can just drag an email from Outlook into a folder in any drive (local or remote) and it creates a ".msg" file for that email. When you double click on the ".msg" file, it opens the email on Outlook for you.
Dropbox is the obvious one but what do you use for email normally?
Non personal mailbox, shareed with all team members? Copy/forward stuff for filing in to it.. (not tried with 365, using on premise)
Or something in Sharepoint I suspect.
As above
Dropbox
Create a folder for each deal/project
For emails you just "Save As" the message in .msg format and put it into the Dropbox folder (or use the drag/drop as per @footflaps)
By the way a mate of mine with a small architecture related business uses open office (free) as the Microsoft licenses are expensive
EDIT: I am no fan of Microsoft and I don't see why you'd start paying for something when you can use DropBox for free
You could use 365, Sharepoint and [url= http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/office365-sharepoint-online-small-business-help/use-a-site-mailbox-to-coordinate-team-email-HA103979664.aspx?CTT=5&origin=HA103927690 ]site mailboxes[/url].
If you're going to move to the cloud you may want to think about:
1. What happens if the cloud isn't available? Your internet connection goes down, Dropbox is out for maintenance, etc.
2. Legal stuff: your files (and your clients' files) are now in the US. Or Germany. Or Godknowswhere.
You might find that it's no more expensive to upgrade your server and put a NAS or whatever in.
@mogrim's points are good ones, I was involved with a business which had dropbox only storage, "no internet" has never been a problem for them in 3 years but it could be
I'd also look at the Microsoft equivalent of Dropbox (SkyDrive?) as it's better integrated with their product set.
Dropbox is actually quite expensive (imo) for 'small team' use as well.
. What happens if the cloud isn't available? Your internet connection goes down, Dropbox is out for maintenance, etc.
Well no internet = no email so that's not a problem.
AWS S3 would get around point 2 (just specify EU (Ireland) as the location for your buckets. S3 not as easy to use as other offering though (Dropbox is AWS S3 with differnet front end and less options/more cost.
You might find that it's no more expensive to upgrade your server and put a NAS or whatever in.
Although it's certainly more hassle.
One Drive now. An unlimited storage for Office 365 customers.
If you're going to move to the cloud you may want to think about:1. What happens if the cloud isn't available? Your internet connection goes down, Dropbox is out for maintenance, etc.
2. Legal stuff: your files (and your clients' files) are now in the US. Or Germany. Or Godknowswhere.
These are fair points, but with even my sector (Healthcare) buying into it in a big way now, I think you'll be OK .. you can run the apps offline so you might be waiting for your mail if a JCB takes out the exchange .. but you will be anyway with a traditional setup.
If I were starting a small business now I'd look no further than Google Docs or Office 365 (and would probably go MS purely down to familiarity and for Lync). Cloud based IPT too, for flexibility.
Office 365, one drive and share point functionality would do it for you. Potential DPA issues need to be considered though.
Dropbox and google drive/apps also provide options. Consider your workflow and apply accordingly considering any changes required or unintentional.
Dropbox has recently developed greater links with Microsoft which may improve integration.
Legal stuff: your files (and your clients' files) are now in the US. Or Germany. Or Godknowswhere.
This was certainly an issue for a friends IFA business I helped out a while back. FSA have lots of regs on filing apparently.
Thanks for the responses. All very useful.
I hadn't even realised you could save emails in to project folders in that way. That helps a lot but it'd be good if we could mirror the projects folders that are set up on Outlook in an email folder on the server. Is there any automatic way to make the filing done in outlook happen on the server at the same time?
Well no internet = no email so that's not a problem
@sharkbait. Yes but yo lose access to all the project files too, so big problem.
@sharkbait. Yes but yo lose access to all the project files too, so big problem.
You can sync a non personal mailbox offline. You can also do the same with Sharepoint with various 3rd party products (I use Colligo, but I've no idea on 365 integration)
it'd be good if we could mirror the projects folders that are set up on Outlook in an email folder on the server
No need. You just set up 'public' folders on outlook that other people in your company have permission to view. Then rather than everyone having a project folder in their outlook, they all use the same public project folder so as soon as an email is in there, everyone with permission can see it.
Not with Dropbox. It keeps local copies as well as cloud ones. It'll sync each computer over the lan if available. Once you get the internet back it'll back everything up again. Any conflicting files it will make a copy of both.Yes but yo lose access to all the project files too, so big problem.
Any conflicting files it will make a [s]copy of both[/s] right hash of the folder structure and contents.
FTFY
After being to a very good speech yesterday by the Information Commissioners Office yesterday there is also the issue of privacy.
Not a major issue but you should really make it clear to your customers you are using a 3rd aprty to store potentially confidential documents.