Facebook pairs with Dropbox for an easier path to file-sharing

Facebook and Dropbox announced a partnership Wednesday that will allow members of Facebook groups to more easily share files using the popular cloud-based service. The integration is a huge boost for Dropbox, as it will introduce millions of Facebook users to the service and encourage them to share files with friends.

Dropbox announced the news on its blog Wednesday, noting that users who share their files within a Facebook group will be making those files available to all members, and changes made to the files will update for everyone else. Users can share files by choosing “Add File” on the group page, an option that will roll out slowly.

Facebook, which had more than 955 million active users in June, could likely generate a good deal of interest and new users for Dropbox. Dropbox experienced issues with hacking in August and this summer doubled the amount of storage space available to its premium users.

The move also puts Facebook closer to the enterprise world by providing solutions for people in businesses or schools that make Facebook Groups more useful, coming after the company made moves toward file-sharing among groups earlier this year.

Dropbox Facebook file-sharing screenshot


GigaOM