oneDrum Brings Real-Time Collaboration to Microsoft Office; Mac Version To Hit Beta Later This Year

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 11/03/11

A UK company has launched a free application that allows users to collaborate on Microsoft Office files in real time similar to the way they can with Google Docs. oneDrum from a company by the same name is being promoted as a "peer-to-peer desktop application" specifically for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Edits made through oneDrum appear in real time when working online. Offline edits synchronize when connectivity is reestablished. The program includes a chat function to allow users to communicate with each other as they're working on a common document.

"Our goal has always been to reset people's understanding both of what a networked application is and how it should be built," said CEO Jasper Westaway. "We designed oneDrum to be insanely powerful and with as few compromises as possible. Users want files to be accessible and editable offline whilst co-authoring, file sharing and chat messaging are all experiences that people have become accustomed to and need for productivity."

Currently, oneDrum works on all versions of Office in a Windows environment. The company said a Mac version for doing file integration would be beta-tested later in the year.

According to Westaway, the company will release a subscription version of the program in February 2012 with extra features, including backup to the cloud and Web access to files.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • open laptop in a college classroom with holographic AI icons like a brain and data charts rising from the screen

    4 Ways Universities Are Using Google AI Tools for Learning and Administration

    In a recent blog post, Google shared an array of education customer stories, showcasing ways institutions are using AI tools like Gemini and NotebookLM to transform both learning and administrative tasks.

  • illustration of a human head with a glowing neural network in the brain, connected to tech icons on a cool blue-gray background

    Meta Launches Stand-Alone AI App

    Meta Platforms has introduced a stand-alone artificial intelligence app built on its proprietary Llama 4 model, intensifying the competitive race in generative AI alongside OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and xAI.

  • three main icons—a cloud, a user profile, and a padlock—connected by circuit lines on a blue abstract background

    Report: Identity Has Become a Critical Security Perimeter for Cloud Services

    A new threat landscape report points to new cloud vulnerabilities. According to the 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report from Fortinet, while misconfigured cloud storage buckets were once a prime vector for cybersecurity exploits, other cloud missteps are gaining focus.

  • Stylized illustration showing cybersecurity elements like shields, padlocks, and secure cloud icons on a neutral, minimalist digital background

    Microsoft Announces Security Advancements

    Microsoft has announced major security advancements across its product portfolio and practices. The work is part of its Secure Future Initiative (SFI), a multiyear cybersecurity transformation the company calls the largest engineering project in company history.