For those who use Dropbox it is synonymous with seamless file synching and sharing over multiple devices. Mailbox is a very recently launched email-client – Gmail centric for the time being – based on the idea that people use their email-box as a de facto to-do list, so better make one that indeed is optimized for taking care of email as a to do list. Raving revues. Why would the news that Dropbox has acquired Mailbox be of much (potential) interest to anyone?
One of the under currents in tech is that a user should be able to use its data, apps and tools via various devices totally seamless. Lets call this “unified devices”. Apple has its OSX/iOS and iCloud unified devices strategy. Google aims to do the same by porting all services via the web and make them device agnostic where possible (or bake them in to Android, open in name closed to Google services in practice). Microsoft is building up its Windows 8, Office 365 and related services to get the same type of integration. Just three examples of how the tech giants are trying to realize this reality where users can pick up any device and start where they left off on an other device they own or happen to be around. We are still some way off from this unified devices vision, but slowly but surely the pieces of the puzzle are getting together. At the moment, even with all the limitations it still brings to the table, the best multi device experience out of the box is created by Apple in my opinion.
All players have strongholds from where to fight this battle, but also they all have their clear disadvantages. Apple is a closed environment and the integration over multiple devices does ask the user to buy Apple devices only. (NB if then the current iCloud services are lackluster at most; e.g. Dropbox runs circles around iCloud for file sharing). Microsoft seems to not have a clue lately how to address mobile, a cornerstone in a user device centric environment where mobility is a conditio sine qua non for being there at all. Google is highly dependent on third party build devices, or when it is aiming at the thin client approach with Chrome OS dependent on mobile connections that can not support data volumes within the limited plans people have with their provider. It is just a matter of time before Samsung will fork its version of Android to cut out Google services in my opinion, like Amazone did before (i.e. Samsung did not even mention Android in their presentation of the Galaxy IV last week). We could go down the full list of usual suspects and less usual suspects as contenders to this game.
At the core of this unified devices game is the ability to seamlessly synch data. Dropbox has been able to reach a high level of scalability and seamless operation for a core service to the future environment of seamlessly operating device. Coupling this ability to an other basic service (email) that is highly dependent on synching, and file sharing for that matter, creates the start of a “platform” that is simply aiming to facilitate the core functions of any multi device set up. They do not have an interest (so far) in the user data it self (NB like Google for whom you are the product!). They are not OS or device dependent and are able to synch data beyond the boundaries setup by the likes of Apple and (to be expected at some date) by Samsung.
Whether Dropbox will be able to resist the temptation to be bought by one of the contenders for some serious money or whether it can keep on synching when platforms like Android and or iOS/OSX could be getting potentially more gated as a defensive move against Dropbox cs. are open questions. But to me, the reasoning behind this move by Dropbox is sound and when played with caution and patience could create a substantial player that will in the end deliver the synching needed to create this seamless unified device user environment. Dropbox acquiring Mailbox could have been the start of a serious platform development in Tech.
UPDATE 11-07-2013
Via wired Dropbox wants to connect every app, file and device