ownCloud Updated with Multiple File Sharing/Sync Features

The ownCloud open source file sync/sharing solution for cloud service providers has hit version 3, bringing cloud text editing, PDF viewing, photo galleries and — potentially best of all for TalkinCloud readers — an application store.

As a quick refresher, ownCloud’s mission is to offer “the ease-of-use of Dropbox and box.net [sic] with a more secure, transparently managed offering,” as per its press release. Recently, ownCloud Inc. (the commercial arm of the project) boasted 350,000 downloads, which is impressive before the formal launch of its enterprise play.

The headlining feature of the new release is the ability to edit documents directly from the cloud by way of a modified ACE JavaScript Reader. “Users can access files directly if ownCloud is mounted via WebDAV, access them offline if the file is synced locally with the upcoming syncing client or access and edit files directly from within a browser with the new text editor,” according to the press release.

It also supports 35 programming languages for “syntax highlighting, keyboard shortcuts, drag and drop text, automatic indent and outdent, unstructured/user code folding and Live syntax checker (for JavaScript, Coffee and CSS).” The caveat, according to ownCloud, is the new feature only supports basic text file formats. But it promises support for .ODT and .doc(x) formats is coming.

As for the ownCloud Application Store, it works more or less as you’d expect, with users being able to implement new features and functionalities by going to apps.owncloud.com and administrators able to deploy from directly within the management interface. Depending on real-world adoption rates, it could be a valuable sales channel for cloud ISVs.

PDF viewer and photo gallery functionalities work as you’d expect, and improved PIM functionality for features such as repeated appointments and time zone detection.

There are a few other new features, including ownCloud-in-a-box, a community-developed deployment package and virtual appliance for SUSE Studio. But we’ve covered the highlights of ownCloud version 3. Keep watching TalkinCloud for more updates as the cloud file sync market continues its growth.