OneDrive for Business Beta on OS X, Hints Toward Office 2015 for Mac

With Windows 10’s impending release, it seems that Microsoft is getting a head start on its push for cross platform functionality. In addition to releasing Office on Android Tablets and OneDrive for Business on iOS, the company has also begun a preview for OneDrive on OS X. This update brings a range of new Office 365 features to Macs, and serves to decrease its gap from Windows. 

Office 365 users on Mac will now have greater access to company files right from their desktop. Up until this point, desktop access was limited to personal OneDrive storage, while business accounts had to be reached through the online portal. Along with this perk, Mac users also gain access to the unlimited storage capacity of OneDrive for Business.

The layout is fairly analogous to that of Windows. Once a user has installed the OneDrive app, a new folder will appear within their Finder window through which online files can be edited. Finally, when the app is active and capable of syncing, a OneDrive icon can be seen in the screens topmost taskbar to denote this. Those familiar with other cloud platforms on Mac, such as Dropbox and Box, will find this to be a very similar layout that is easy to get the hang of.

While this release brings a great deal of virtual space to users for accessing their documents, the ability to share from within the app has been left out. It has not been stated if this feature will be added on in a future update, but this feature remains accessible through the Office 365 Online Portal.

Last March, Microsoft released a Mac version of OneNote, followed by an updated version of Outlook in November. Conjoining these two releases with OneDrive, it can be assumed that Microsoft is building towards an Office 2015 for the platform in the near future. With nearly five years since the last Office release on Mac (Office 2011), a newer version is desperately needed to match Windows.

If you’re interested in integrating the cloud into your business or are looking to set your Macs up with this new release, please reach out to us! We’d be happy to help you get started.