Co-editing with Microsoft Office on Mobile connects Egnyte Mobile Apps to Microsoft Office 365 to allow multiple users to edit a document simultaneously using the Office Software.
Requirements
Before you can use collaborative authoring with Microsoft Office, you need:
- A device that supports iOS or Android (phone or tablet)
- Latest Egnyte iOS or Android App- check the latest Egnyte installers for more information
- Microsoft Office Business License - Users of Egnyte must have an Office 365 account that incorporates Office customer licenses (Business, Business Premium, E3, E4, or E5) to change or edit their files.
- Latest Microsoft Office Apps Installed on your device.
- Microsoft Office Online has to be enabled on the Domain by your Admin
Starting Co-Editing Session from Egnyte Mobile App (iOS and Android):
If a document is compatible with collaborative co-editing, and Microsoft Office Integration is set up and added for your domain as a default application by your admin, a Co-edit button will appear in preview (or in the context menu (three dots) with the "Co-edit in [Word] [Excel] [PowerPoint]). Click Co-edit to check out the document and start a collaboration session.
When another user opens the document first, you will see a Co-Edit icon appear (two people). This means someone else has this document open and is making changes.
In mobile, the names of the button do not change - only the Co-edit icon shows that there may be another person editing the document.
During Co-Editing Session & Saving Back to Egnyte
After opening a file for co-editing, the document will be processed. Once it's done the processing, this page will open up a new tab in the browser. And you will see "Your co-editing session is ready," and the document will open.
Finally, when you start a collaboration session to edit an Egnyte document, the file is stored in an Office SharePoint drive which your admin has set up. Any user who joins the collaboration session is saved to SharePoint temporarily and is periodically saved to Egnyte. You would see other people joining and working with you & Icons on the upper right corner and can see their information.
Once you are done making changes, close the document (upper left arrow or back button). Your changes and version will get saved, and you can go back to Egnyte. Keep in mind you would see a co-editing button should you want to jump back again to make some quick edits until no collaborators are left.
In the meantime, anyone else joining the co-editing session would have to work with the same editing application 1st user who initiated the session for the duration of the session. Once the collaborate lock is released and you see the "Edit" button, you would be able to use any application of your choice as long as it's enabled and added to your domain by your admin.
Sharing Co-Editing Session
Other users with correct permissions can also join your collaboration session to edit the document simultaneously by using Egnyte direct links from your Egnyte App.
When you copy the direct link, you can send it to other domain users having Editor permission to the folder where the file is located. When they open such a direct link, they will see in the File Preview the blue Co-Edit button and, upon clicking on it, will join the co-editing session.
Limitations /Known issues:
- Mobile App does not, for now, support xlsm files.
- The ready for co-editing page is not yet ready for mobile (issue only seen on phones)
- It may take some time before the changes you made to a document will be seen.
- Co-edit cannot be launched from Offline Tab files.
- While starting/joining a collaborative session, the Egnyte app will be moved to the background. Do not close it as it may cause some problems for later document editing.