Gimmal continues to expand our capabilities in the Cloud with the initial release of Cloud Drop Zones. Users of our Content Governance for SharePoint solution know the Drop Zone concept as it is the most implemented feature of that platform. The Drop Zone itself is an area where files can be dragged and dropped, with configuration that assigns and requests the document metadata that will drive business processes. In essence they provide users with a straight-forward place to upload a document while giving it meaning. With Cloud Drop Zones, we introduce the capabilities to take Drop Zone functionality to the next level.
Before outlining the specific feature set for the initial release, it is important to understand some key goals for developing Cloud Drop Zones:
- Central Configuration of Drop Zones
With the existing Drop Zones, the configuration for that Drop Zone is available only in the specific Web Part. This means that each time that configuration needs to be reused, the web part itself needs to be configured wherever it is used. With Cloud Drop Zones, the Drop Zone configuration is stored centrally so that it can be reused for multiple instances of the same configuration. - Ability to Release to Multiple Repositories
The existing Drop Zones capability is a product specific to Microsoft SharePoint. However, in the modern enterprise there can be multiple content repositories. The architecture of Cloud Drop Zones allows us to support other content repositories while keeping a consistent end-user experience. - Drop Zones Available Where the User Works
As mentioned, the current Drop Zones are only available in SharePoint Web Part form. The architecture of Cloud Drop Zones allows us to build Drop Zones in to other applications and platforms. This is accomplished while referencing the central configuration so that Drop Zones can be configured and available where people work. - On-ramp to Cloud Based Information Governance
Gimmal’s goal with Cloud Drop Zones is as a starting point for true Enterprise-wide Information Governance based on our long experience in the Governance and Records Management space. Cloud Drop Zones is the first release in this area, and will be followed quickly with improvements, features, and additional applications built on the same framework.
The initial features of Cloud Drop Zones are:
- SharePoint Online repository release support using the Microsoft Graph API
- Configurable “Custom” Metadata Property Templates
- Essential Metadata Property Modifiers such as “Required”, “Read Only”, and support for “Hidden Fields”
- End User and Admin User Roles
- Group Concept for User and Drop Zone assignment
- Drop Zone Web Page with Folders and select-able User Favorites
We are offering the Cloud Drop Zones experience for organizations that are currently licensed for our Content Governance for SharePoint solution. If you are such a customer and are interested in implementing Cloud Drop Zones, then drop your Account Manager or favorite Gimmal Consultant a line. If you are not currently using our Content Governance for SharePoint solution, but are interested in improving how your organization captures metadata on essential document content as it is uploaded, reach out to us for a demo. We at Gimmal are here to help your organization take control of its information!
