Dropbox has announced a host of new features for its Dropbox Pro product, including enhanced security for those who want to collaborate and share files.
The company said it has responded to freedback from Pro users, including introducing one plan to suit everyone, and new safeguards to effectively manage lost or stolen devices.
The biggest focus is on securing data, according to Dropbox, so the headline features are all related to security.
First up, if Pro users want to share links, the person receiving the link will have to input a password to be able to access the file. This added layer of security replaces the user only having to login to their own Dropbox account in order to access the file.
The links will also now expire after a certain amount of time - determined by the user - so if you want to allow a colleague to only be able to access the folder or file for a week, you can specify that when you share the link.
If you don't want a collaborator to edit the file or folder at all, you can set the permissions to read-only.
If you have Dropbox installed on a device and you lose it, you will now be able to remote wipe it, while your files remain in the master cloud service. Presumably, Dropbox will list where you have the service installed - for example, your tablet, smartphone or laptop - and just allow you to wipe the installation from one of these devices rather than all of them.
The final change to Dropbox Pro will be the introduction of one payment structure. The plan will cost a flat rate of 7.99 and will give you access to 1TB of space - which should definitely be enough to store almost anything you want in the cloud. Previously, plans included 100GB, 200GB and 500GB, costing 7.99, 15.99 and 39.99 respectively.
If you've just signed up to Dropbox Pro, you should have access to all these new features straight away. If you've already been using the service, you benefit from the increased functionality shortly.
ChenLi Wang, Dropbox's head of product, said: "Others offer the base, but really nobody has the same breadth of features and functionality as Dropbox Pro. We're enabling anyone who creates, edits and shares to have the more powerful Pro with the new set of features."
