Lexington, Mass., Dec. 11, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Improved design, advanced integration with enhanced APIs and the ability to create, share, download - and now collaboratively edit -- documents online lead the list of impressive enhancement and additions in ownCloud's latest Community Edition, the world's most popular open source, self-hosted file sync and share.
With more than a million users worldwide, ownCloud offers the ease-of-use, flexibility, privacy and security unmatched by consumer-grade services. ownCloud installs easily on a web server, enabling users to host their own file sync and share, giving them complete control of their data whether using their own storage or cloud storage.
"ownCloud 6 is the fastest, easiest-to-use ownCloud yet," said Frank Karlitschek, founder and leader of the ownCloud project, and CTO of ownCloud, Inc. "It has a ton of cool new features that the community can use to safely and privately sync and share files - under their control. And ownCloud Documents gives small groups the ability to edit documents together in real-time."
ownCloud Documents
ownCloud Documents, built in conjunction with KO GmbH , enables online, live, collaborative editing of standard documents. Documents stored in ownCloud can be created within a web-interface or existing documents can be uploaded. Sharing and editing can be done securely in the browser and be shared inside ownCloud or via a public link. The editing works on top of normal ODF files that are stored in ownCloud and can be privately and securely stored on-premises.
ownCloud Community Edition 6 Features
In addition to ownCloud Documents, the ownCloud Community Edition 6 includes many new and enhanced features:
User Interface
· Activity feeds. A real-time list of recent activity so users can see what is going on in their ownCloud account with the files they own.
· Improved design. Updated interface, new elements, and other improvements provide less visual clutter and more space for better user focus and more intuitive interactions.
· Avatars . New user pictures visible through the interface that augment sharing and collaborative interactions.
· Previews . Thumbnail previews for filetypes and pictures enabling a user to see a quick summary of their files without having to open them.
Usability
· Conflict handling . A new web conflict dialog providing the user multiple options if a file is uploaded that already exists on the server.
· Share file notification. Optional emails sent to users and groups when sharing a file or folder with other users of the system.
· Example files. Pre-set files that an admin can select that appear in new user accounts when they log in for the first time, such as a tutorial on how to use ownCloud.
· Enhanced performance . Improved performance across the board, including encryption, external system integration and file sync.
Development/Deployment
· Sharing REST API. A new API that enables app developers and partners to externally access all ownCloud sharing functions from, for example, a mobile app or desktop application.
· ownCloud App API . An enhanced API for easier development of 3rd party apps, and easier access to core functions for app development.
· App management . A new framework that improves management of 3rd party apps and the installation of these apps into ownCloud.
"The ownCloud community has once again helped create the latest and greatest ownCloud -- the best way I know to protect the privacy and security of data, while still freely share it with friends, family and colleagues," said Karlitschek. "And, it's easier than ever to create more great apps, extending ownCloud to fit your needs."
Availability
ownCloud 6 Community Edition is available now ( http://owncloud.org/ six) and is recommended for experienced ownCloud Community Edition users only. ownCloud Community gives enthusiasts and technical users a free, secure and innovative way to sync and share data. ownCloud, Inc ., the company behind ownCloud, will launch a commercially-supported Enterprise Edition in the first quarter 2014, targeting enterprise IT departments that require on-premise file sync and share for sensitive corporate data.
About the ownCloud Community
ownCloud began at a KDE community event in 2010, aiming to bring greater flexibility, access and security to data in the cloud. ownCloud enables universal access to files through the widely implemented WebDAV standard, providing a platform to easily view and sync contacts, calendars and bookmarks across devices while supporting sharing, viewing and editing via the web interface. Installation has minimal server requirements, doesn't need special permissions and is quick. ownCloud is extendable via a simple, powerful API for applications. For more information, please visit: http://www.owncloud.org .
About ownCloud Inc.
Based on the popular ownCloud open source file sync and share community project, ownCloud Inc. was founded in 2011 to give corporate IT greater control of their data -- combining greater flexibility, openness and extensibility with on premise servers and storage. Company headquarters are in Lexington, MA, with European headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany. For more information, visit: http://www.owncloud.com .
Joe Eckert,
