Dropbox launches Smart Sync (formerly Project Infinite) for business users

At an event in San Francisco today, cloud file syncing and sharing software company Dropbox announced the launch of Smart Sync (formerly known as Project Infinite). The feature, which is meant to provide easy access to all your data without taking up all the space on your computer, is becoming available for users of the Dropbox Business service tier in an early-access program.

Dropbox introduced Project Infinite last April, describing it as a way to see cloud-stored files in folders on your desktop computer but also very quickly save and open local copies of those files whenever you want them. Dropbox came under some criticism for Project Infinite when it became clear that the feature would require kernel access on users’ computers. But other than that, Dropbox hasn’t said much on Project Infinite since then.

“We’re also exploring ways to bring it to individual users in the future,” Dropbox vice president of product and design Todd Jackson wrote in a blog post.

Additionally today, the Dropbox Paper notetaking app launches out of beta. Dropbox introduced it in 2015, and it launched in open beta in August; at that time, Android and iOS apps became available as well. Soon Dropbox will add offline support to the Paper mobile apps, and a Paper Project feature for managing documents will be coming, too.

Dropbox’s competitors include Box, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive, among others. Interestingly, a corporate screenshot to promote Dropbox Smart Sync shows OneDrive in the Windows File Explorer right alongside Dropbox. Microsoft and Dropbox have previously partnered with each other.

Also today Dropbox said that it’s introducing a “viewer info” widget that appears at the top of documents that shows when people viewed the documents. Dropbox is beginning to roll this out to Dropbox Business users.

Dropbox will be rolling out a new homepage for users in the next few months as well, Jackson said at today’s event. There will be a feed of the latest documents, as well as a button in the bottom left corner of the browser window with which users will be able to toggle between personal and work accounts.

The San Francisco-based startup has now surpassed a $1 billion revenue run rate, Dropbox cofounder and chief executive Drew Houston said. Last year Dropbox said that it had more than 500 million registered users and had become free cash flow positive.