File backup and syncing platform Dropbox Inc. has been steadily adding new features aimed at the enterprise, and today the company has finally launched Smart Sync, a tool for Dropbox Business users that makes it easy to access shared files without having to download them all at once.

On the desktop, Dropbox works as a shared folder that automatically syncs files across multiple storage devices. All files are synced with the cloud, but they are also downloaded to the desktop’s local storage, which can be a problem when Dropbox accounts can store terabytes of data. Smart Sync, formerly known as Project Infinite, aims to solve this problem by allowing business to easily access all of their cloud files while only downloading the ones they actually need.

“With Smart Sync, all your files and folders can be viewed in Windows File Explorer and macOS Finder, even if they’re not stored locally,” Todd Jackson, vice president of product and design at Dropbox, explained in a blog post. “And when you need them, files and folders are just a double click away. Plus, Smart Sync works where you work, on Windows and Mac, even if you aren’t on the latest version of your operating system.”

Smart Sync is now available to all Dropbox Business users through the platform’s early access program.

In addition to the release of Smart Sync, Dropbox announced a couple of other new features today. The site’s collaboration user interface has gotten a facelift that includes useful information about files, and users can now see which team members have viewed their shared files and when.

Dropbox Paper, the platform’s answer to collaborative word processors like Google Docs, has also officially left beta testing and is now available to all users. Paper allows multiple users to edit documents, and team leaders can assign tasks and due dates and monitor how the projects are moving along.

Founded in 2007, Dropbox is both one of the oldest and one of the most popular file syncing platforms for consumers, but in recent years the company has been facing more and more competition from services like Google Drive and Box. Dropbox faces even more competition in the enterprise where cloud storage is rapidly expanding across multiple industries, so streamlining the Dropbox platform with tools like Smart Sync and Paper is important if the company wants to keep up with the constantly changing ecosystem.

Image courtesy of Dropbox