All-in-One Office Apps: What Features Do You Really Need?

When we were launching Collabio Spaces in late 2020, we researched features that users (and we ourselves) need every day. This allowed us to collect the very necessary features in one app; those which required separate app downloads and payments.

The benefits if our ‘One Space’ approach:

• Saving space on your device. Better to keep memories — photos and videos — instead of legions of productivity apps.
• Saving money, as you have one subscription for all features.
• Saving time — no need to switch from one app to another. Single workspace means no focus loss — everything you need is in one place!

So, let’s get back to the point — what features are must-haves for an all-in-one office suite app?

1. Text and Spreadsheets Editor

It’s hard to imagine an office suite tool without these editors. There may be different formats and designs out there, yet we all process text documents and tables on the daily basis.

Inspired by best practices, we created convenient and intuitive editors to create or import new documents from a device. The functionality includes everything you need to work with documents:

• Formatting them, using typography and layout, as well as adding visuals.
• Tracking changes and spellcheck.
• Adding elements such as sections, footnotes, audio-comments.

The app supports DOCX, ODT, XLSX, ODS formats, as well as DOC, TXT, XLS, CSV, and can view TIFF files.

2. Real-Time Collaboration

Unlike popular cloud solutions, our app offers a new technology — cloudless collaboration with nearby and remote peers. Moreover, you don’t have to pay for the cloud while co-authoring documents across all macOS and iOS devices.

Here are two types of possible connection:

• P2P collaboration for teammates nearby. Co-author in real time without an Internet connection within a local network. You don’t have to connect to a public or unprotected WiFi. Instead, with no risk to your device’s security, collaborate via your own notebook or mobile hotspot — the document will always stay safely on your device.
• The new experimental option! P2P collaboration for remote teammates* works well anywhere. For this option, you’ll need Internet but a co-editing session happens exclusively from the document owner’s device.
  *There may be network configurations where this type of P2P connection will not be available for some of the peers located inside Symmetric NAT network.

3. PDF Annotation Tool

Almost all of us have separate PDF readers or editors on our phones. That’s why Collabio built this feature into the app.

Though this is more a reader than an editor, it empowers you to highlight and comment on PDFs in a couple of clicks! According to our pre-release research, these were the most popular features in common PDF editors. And once more, you don’t need a separate app.

4. Mobile Scanner

You’ll be surprised by how useful and necessary this feature is. Especially useful for preparing speeches, presentations or scientific works.

Forget manual typing, automation will save you tons of time. With Collabio, just point the camera at the document, take its photo and wait for the app to confirm it’s ready. Your document is now ready to save or edit.

By the way, in this article, we shared a brief history of scanners from the very beginning in the 1900s! After reading it, we’re sure you’ll need to test how a mobile scanner works in Collabio. ;)

5. E-Signatures

With Collabio Spaces, you’ll save more time and money when you sign documents electronically. We present a fully mobile office, in which you will be able to sign invoices, offers and contracts from anywhere, even without accessing the Internet.
All you need is the app on your mobile device and your finger ready to sign.

Curious about electronic signatures? Look at this piece and discover how much time this technology saves us every year.

6. Document Organisation

Proper organisation is key to increasing productivity. Collabio is designed to help keep your space organized. You can create as many folders as you want, mark documents as favourites, and set a clear hierarchy.

Here are some top tips:

• Don’t mix working and personal files. Otherwise, searching for a specific contract among your vacation photos will be extremely difficult.
• Clearly name files. Almost 42% of employees complain they can’t quickly find files due to incorrect naming.
• Start organising your files from their very creation or you will have to spend long days putting the existing chaos in order.
• Order files in a folder. Use numbers or symbols to highlight important ones and keep them at the top.
• Keep your folders clean. If you see that your folder has grown to more than a hundred items, group these items into sub-folders.

So, these are the main features we, and our users, need every day. What features would you like to see in the app in the future? We are always in search of improvements and welcome all ideas. So, please, drop us a line in the comments.