Welcome to the SynergyOS monthly newsletter for July 2024.

SynergyOS​

This month, we have made the following improvements to the platform.

Personal folders​

Now every internal user has a personal folder created by default to save his information. This personal folder is especially useful for the future email and calendar client, as a personal space for users to save personal emails and events.

Improved activity tracking: commits and other activity​

We've streamlined activity tracking by categorizing actions into two distinct types: commits and other activities. This bifurcation enhances clarity and allows for a more organized and efficient way to monitor and manage your workflow.

Our new activity page is designed to provide users with a comprehensive view of their interactions and changes within the platform. Users can easily see their commits, their other activities, and all repository commits, offering a clear sense of the changes happening across their projects. This holistic view ensures that every modification and interaction is transparent and accessible.

The activity page includes powerful filtering options to help you manage and navigate your commits more effectively. You can filter commits by folder, allowing you to view changes from all folders you have access to or restrict the view to specific folders for a more granular examination. Additionally, you can filter by the type of commit, such as only uploads or only saved versions, and by time and date. These filters empower you to tailor the activity view to your specific needs, making it easier to track progress, review changes, and maintain a clear overview of your projects.

Commits​

Commits encompass all changes that modify the structure or content of your files, folders, notes, tasks, and other elements within SynergyOS. This includes actions such as uploads, moves, renames, edits, and deletions. By meticulously documenting these modifications, commits ensure that any alterations to your content are easily traceable and transparent, providing a comprehensive history of changes.

Other activities​

On the other hand, other activities include non-modifying actions like opening a file, conducting searches, commenting, and viewing content. These interactions, while not altering the content, are equally important for tracking user engagement and interactions within the platform. This separation ensures that every action, whether it changes the content or not, is recorded and accessible for review, contributing to a more efficient and transparent workflow.

Subscriptions integrated with permissions and a new subscriptions page​

Additionally, we've made it even easier for users to stay updated by allowing the person granting permissions to directly subscribe new users to email notifications. This ensures that new users are automatically kept informed about relevant activities without needing to set up notifications themselves.

Users can always view their current email subscriptions on the subscription page, where they can easily manage their preferences and unsubscribe if needed. This streamlined approach simplifies the process of staying informed and enhances overall user engagement and awareness.

Revamped email notifications for new folder activity (commits)​

We've revamped our email notifications to keep you better informed about new folder activity, particularly commits. Here are the key improvements:

• Daily Digest: Receive a daily summary of all activity from the past 24 hours, helping you stay up-to-date with the latest changes. Each user can configure this setting according to their preferences.
• Comprehensive Activity Tracking: The notifications cover all types of commits, including new uploads and edited documents, ensuring that you are aware of every significant change in your folders.

These improvements are designed to enhance your awareness and control over folder activities, ensuring you never miss an important update.

New email notification for each folder invite​

We've also introduced a new option to send email notifications to new users added to a folder. This feature ensures that new users are promptly informed about their access and can start collaborating immediately.

Additionally, when sending these notifications, there's an option to include a personal message from the person granting the permissions. This allows for a more personalized and informative introduction, helping new users understand their role and the context of their access right from the start.

These enhancements to our email notifications system are designed to keep you and your team better informed and connected, fostering a more collaborative and efficient working environment.

Company Repository Timezone Support​

We've introduced enhanced timezone support for company repositories. This feature allows each repository to have a default timezone, ensuring that all guests receive notifications in their most likely timezone by default. This helps streamline communication and ensures timely updates regardless of geographical location. Additionally, each user has the flexibility to change their default timezone, tailoring their notification preferences to match their specific needs.

Versions: Change Naming from Draft to Current​

We've updated the way we name file versions to make it easier to understand. Previously, when you saved a file, the live version was called "Draft post-version number." For example, a file might have been named "Presentation.pptx Draft post-2.03."

Now, we use the term "Current" for all live versions. So, when you share a file, it will be named "Presentation.pptx C+2.03." The "C+" means that this is the most recent version of the file.

This change makes it clear that the file is not just a draft or something incomplete—it's the latest version, ready to be used or shared. We want to make sure everyone understands that "Current" means the file is up-to-date and ready for use.

User Interface Updates: Blue Accent Color​

We've updated the accent color for selections across SynergyOS, changing it from gray to blue. This new blue accent color is now reflected throughout the platform, making selections more visible and enhancing overall usability.

Notes​

We've improved the functionality of notes in SynergyOS. Notes now benefit from the same versioning system we use for files, which includes an autosave feature. This means all changes to a note are automatically saved to the Current version, ensuring your latest updates are always preserved.

Users also have the option to save specific versions of their notes manually. These can be saved as either major or minor versions, which we call "frozen" versions. A frozen version is a saved state of the note that won't change, allowing you to easily reference or revert to that specific version in the future.

Additionally, you can now open notes in separate windows. This allows you to write or read multiple notes simultaneously, enhancing your ability to multitask and manage your information more effectively.

2024-08 Roadmap​

For the rest of the year we will be working primarily on:

• Email and calendar client: a complete email client within SynergyOS to replace Outlook / Gmail.

If you have inputs / feedback about your daily workflow and how you could save time with email management, please reach out, we are all ears!

The SynergyOS team

Welcome to the SynergyOS monthly newsletter for June 2024.

SynergyOS​

This month, we're excited to introduce significant enhancements to the platform.

Revamped Email Integration​

We have improved the management and interaction with emails within SynergyOS. Now, emails have their own data object separate from files which allow us to provide better functionality like specific email metadata (from, to, ccc, attachments, etc.), more advanced search capabilities with the extended metadata fields, and new frontend capabilities to see emails in new windows, open attachments with desktop applications, and a very powerful feature to automatically help you to save attachments and append them to the original file so you can have the version history of the file with both internal and external versions.

Email integration in Synergy​

Emails can be browsed from both "All items" and "Emails".

Email window​

You can open each email on its own window and open attachments with desktop applications.

New Outlook Add-in​

The new outlook add-in allows you to save emails to folders and projects within Outlook easily, in addition to the current drag and drop functionality.

You can also see if anyone from the team has already saved the email:

SynergyOS available from the Microsoft Store​

We have published SynergyOS in the Microsoft Store to make it easier for users to install with one click, in addition to the web app install option in Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.

You can get SynergyOS here: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9n73j0b9phbf

Collections​

An improved version of Containers, providing a unified way to view, organize and manage specific types of items.

2024-07 Roadmap​

For the next few months we will be working on:

• Personal folders: every internal user will have a personal folder for his own use. This is particularly helpful for email management to keep information private by default.
• Email and calendar client: a complete email client within SynergyOS to replace Outlook / Gmail.

If you have inputs / feedback about your daily workflow and how you could save time with email management, please reach out, we are all ears!

The SynergyOS team

Welcome to the SynergyOS monthly newsletter for May 2024.

SynergyOS​

This month, we're excited to introduce significant enhancements to the CRM of projects and the Drive functionality, aimed at improving organization and accessibility within SynergyOS.

New Projects, now part of folders​

We have made important changes to the CRM aspect of projects. Projects are now treated as a special type of folder. Here are the key features of this update:

• Project Folders: Folders can now be designated as either standard folders or project folders. Project folders have a special icon and additional metadata such as pipeline, stage, etc.

• Unified Projects View: Access all projects in a new view called Projects, independent of their location in the tree structure. This view displays the full path, stage, all metadata, and allows you to open each project individually.

Key Benefits of Project Folders:

• Enhanced Organization: Easily distinguish between standard folders and project folders with special icons and metadata.
• Improved Accessibility: The Projects view consolidates all projects in a flat list, making it easier to manage and access them regardless of their location.

All Items View​

We have introduced a new view in Drive for all data items. This unified view allows you to see folders, files, notes, emails, and more in one place.

Key Features of the All Items View:

• Unified Data Access: View all types of data items, including folders, files, notes, emails, etc., in a single, consolidated view.
• Improved Navigation: Simplifies navigation and access to all your data, enhancing productivity and efficiency.

2024-06 Roadmap​

Looking ahead, here are the upcoming features on our roadmap for June:

• Revamped Emails Integration: Improved management and interaction with emails within SynergyOS, including enhancements to the Outlook Add-in.
• Collections: An improved version of Containers, providing a unified way to organize and manage items.
• Tabs: View items categorized by type (e.g., projects, contracts) in a flat list, with each type having specific metadata.

The SynergyOS team

Welcome to the SynergyOS monthly newsletter for April 2024.

We continue to enhance our platform to better serve your needs. This month, we're excited to introduce a new feature in Synergy Tools that will significantly improve file management and collaboration across users.

Synergy Tools: Public Working Copy Directory​

We have added a new option to the working copy directory: the Public Working Copy Directory. This feature allows all files to have a stable path regardless of the user who accesses them. This is especially useful for files like Excel that have cross-references to other Excel files. With this new feature, you can now maintain those references across different users, ensuring seamless collaboration and data consistency.

Key Benefits of the Public Working Copy Directory:

• Stable File Paths: Ensures all files have consistent paths, simplifying file management.
• Cross-User Consistency: Maintains references in files like Excel, regardless of the user accessing them.
• Enhanced Collaboration: Facilitates smoother collaboration by eliminating issues with file paths and references.

2024-05 Roadmap​

Looking ahead, here are the upcoming features on our roadmap for May:

• Enhancements to the projects data items.
• New all items view in Drive.

The SynergyOS team

Welcome to the SynergyOS monthly newsletter for March 2024.

SynergyOS​

This month, we're thrilled to announce the launch of our new permissions system to all clients. This update is designed to enhance both the power and flexibility of data management within SynergyOS, ensuring a more intuitive and secure user experience.

New Permissions System​

We’ve overhauled our data model and permissions system to provide a unified approach to data management. Here’s a summary of the key changes:

• Directory (Primary Relation): All items must be children of a folder, simplifying the primary driver of permissions.
• Containers (Secondary Relations): A unified tagging system merges Drive and CRM containers, allowing items to be associated with multiple secondary containers (Standard Tags, Projects, Contacts, etc.). Custom secondary containers can also be created (e.g., customer support tickets).
• Items: Includes all items with a uniform data structure, encompassing files, notes, tasks, emails, conversations, and custom item data objects.

Key Features of the New Permissions System​

• Inherited Permissions: Permissions passed down from the parent folder.
• Cascade Permissions: Permissions that automatically extend to all subfolders and items.
• Custom Permissions: Tailored permissions for specific folders and items, allowing for granular control.

This new system centralizes permissions around folders, aligning with how companies organize and think about access control. It offers enhanced power and flexibility while maintaining simplicity and ease of use.

New Item Fields: Priority, Status, Assigned​

In addition to the permissions system overhaul, we’ve introduced new fields for all items to improve task and project management:

• Priority: Assign a priority level to items to help organize and manage them effectively.
• Status: Track the current status of items, providing visibility into its progress.
• Assigned: Easily assign items to team members, ensuring clear accountability and streamlined collaboration.

2024-04 Roadmap​

Looking ahead, here are the upcoming features on our roadmap for April:

• Improvements to Synergy Tools.

The SynergyOS team

Welcome to the SynergyOS monthly newsletter for February 2024.

SynergyOS​

We continue our journey to revolutionize the way businesses manage their data by integrating various productivity tools into a comprehensive platform. This month, we're excited to introduce a significant enhancement with the integration of the new 'Items' structure. This innovation allows for the inclusion of any item-like data object, streamlining the management process through the use of both folders and container tables. By simplifying how data is organized and accessed, we aim to further optimize your workflow and enhance overall productivity.

Items: The unifying structure for all data objects​

SynergyOS introduces 'Items' as a foundational element, standardizing the structure for all data objects within the platform. Each item is linked to a parent folder, ensuring a unified permission model. Access to items is streamlined through the top tab bar, allowing for intuitive navigation. In addition to standard objects, companies have the flexibility to create custom Item objects, enhancing adaptability to specific business needs.

• Files: Traditional files such as Office documents, PDFs, and text files.
• Notes: CRM-associated records that log activities like calls or meetings.
• Tasks: CRM-related records for managing task assignments.
• Emails: Emails linked with CRM entities, seamlessly integrated from your email server into Synergy.
• Conversations: Threaded discussions that facilitate collaborative problem-solving.
• Snippets: Versatile text snippets for a variety of applications, including legal clauses and email templates.
• Expenses: Detailed records for tracking and managing business expenses, streamlining financial oversight.
• Invoices: Automated invoicing tools to efficiently create, send, and manage invoices directly within Synergy.
• Links: Organized bookmarks for quick access to frequently used web resources.

Navigation pane tabs for the new structure​

The main navigation pane has been enhanced to include both folders and container tables, serving as the cornerstone for organizing all items. This structure emphasizes:

• Folders (Primary Relation): The backbone of our permission system, ensuring that all items are organized under a parent folder.
• Containers (Secondary Relations): A sophisticated tagging system that bridges Drive and CRM functionalities, allowing for multi-dimensional categorization (e.g., Standard Tags, Projects, Contacts). This flexibility is further extended with the option to create custom secondary containers, such as customer support tickets.

Folders​

Folders act as the primary organizational unit within SynergyOS, structuring all items and their permissions. This hierarchical arrangement simplifies navigation and enhances security by centralizing control over access rights.

Container Tables​

Container tables function as the framework for SynergyOS's tagging system, incorporating both standard and custom tags. This system plays a crucial role in metadata management and permissions, ensuring secure and efficient information retrieval.

Smart Folders​

Smart Folders dynamically aggregate content based on predefined search criteria, offering a real-time view of items. This feature ensures that relevant information is readily accessible, streamlining project management and collaboration.

Tools​

We've redesigned the version saving process. The new save version panel bypasses OS notifications, offering a cleaner, more user-friendly interface that we have full control over, enhancing the user experience.

2024-03 Roadmap​

The upcoming features on our roadmap for March include:

• Improvements to the new data objects and permission system
• Improvements to the Matrix Preview for communications (chat,voice,video)

The SynergyOS team

At Synergy, we've embarked on a significant transformation of our data model and permissions system. Our objective was twofold: to enhance the system's capabilities by introducing more features while simultaneously simplifying its conceptual understanding and usability. This balance aims to empower our users with a robust system that remains intuitive to navigate.

A Recap of Synergy Data Objects​

Before diving into the changes, let's review the core data objects within Synergy:

Objects by Category​

• Drive: Features traditional folder trees and tags.
• CRM: Encompasses Projects, Contacts, Companies, and Contracts.

Items (Document/File Items)​

• Files: Traditional files like Office documents, PDFs, and text files.
• Notes: CRM-associated records tracking activities like calls or meetings.
• Tasks: CRM-related records for task assignments.
• Emails: Emails associated with CRM entities, saved from your email server to Synergy.
• Conversations: Threaded discussions akin to git issues.

The Evolution of Synergy's Data Objects and Permissions System​

Historically, Synergy differentiated between Drive data objects (folders, standard tags, files) and CRM data objects (Projects, Contacts, etc.), each with its own permissions system. While this granularity offered flexibility, it introduced complexity and usability challenges, particularly when expanding the system with custom data objects.

The New System: A Unified Approach​

In response to feedback and collaboration with design partners, we've overhauled our data model and permissions system. Here's what's new:

• Directory (primary relation): Folders: Now, all items must be children of a folder, simplifying the primary driver of permissions.
• Containers (secondary relations): Tags: A unified tagging system merges Drive and CRM containers, allowing items to be associated with multiple secondary containers (Standard Tags, Projects, Contacts, etc.). Customers can also create custom secondary containers (for example, customer support tickets).
• Items: Includes all items with a uniform data structure, encompassing files, notes, tasks, emails, conversations. Customers can also create custom item data objects.

Now let's look at an example. All items must have a parent folder (primary relation) and can optionally have as many secondary relations as desired:

Permissions under the New System​

Directory: Folders​

Folder permissions are the foundational element of the system, organized into three categories:

• Inherited Permissions: Permissions that are passed down from the parent folder. These permissions automatically apply to the folder based on the settings of its parent.
• Cascade Permissions: Permissions assigned to a folder that automatically extend to all its subfolders, affecting them recursively. These permissions are also displayed in the 'Inherited Permissions' section of each subfolder to indicate their source and scope.
• Custom Permissions: Permissions tailored to a specific folder that do not extend to subfolders. Users with custom permissions can view all immediate contents of the folder, including both subfolders and items. If they lack further permissions for the subfolders, they can see these subfolders exist (enhancing discoverability) but cannot access their contents.

Containers: Tagging System​

Secondary containers (Standard Tags, Projects, Contacts, etc.) act as Synergy's tagging system and are visible to all team members, with the permission system allowing only the visibility or hiding of records' metadata. For example, while everyone can see the names of projects, permissions can restrict the visibility of confidential metadata details, such as the project's monetary value and involved personnel.

Items​

All items inherit permissions from their direct parent folder (Inherited + Cascade + Custom). Additionally, custom permissions for items have been introduced. This is useful when needing to share specific items (e.g., a file) without granting access to the containing folder. Items shared directly are accessible under a new "Shared with me" section in the file explorer.

Why This Change?​

The restructuring addresses key challenges:

• Simplification: Centralizing permissions around folders aligns with how companies organize and think about access control.
• Flexibility: The unified tagging system allows for custom secondary containers, accommodating diverse use cases without complicating the user experience.

Benefits for Users​

This evolution in our permissions system is designed with our users' needs at the forefront:

• Enhanced Power and Flexibility: Users gain a more capable system that supports a wider range of functionalities.
• Improved Usability: The system is now easier to understand and use, streamlining the management of permissions across different entities.

Looking Ahead​

Our commitment to refining Synergy's functionalities continues. We believe these changes in the permissions system will significantly enhance both the power and user-friendliness of our platform. As always, we value your feedback and look forward to supporting your work with these new improvements.

The SynergyOS team

Welcome to the SynergyOS monthly newsletter for January 2024.

SynergyOS​

Data objects and permissions improvements​

For the next few months we will be working on a revamp of the data objects and permission functionalities thanks to the feedback and suggestions from our partners. Our goal is twofold: how can we add some additional features while we make permissions even easier to use for most users?

This is not an easy task since the data objects and permission system is one of the core pillars of Synergy. We are excited with the progress so far and can't wait to share more in the coming months.

Tools​

SaaS and Enterprise​

Performance improvements and bug fixes.

2024-02 Roadmap​

The upcoming features on our roadmap for February include:

• New data objects and permission system
• Improvements to the Matrix Preview for communications (chat,voice,video)

The SynergyOS team

Welcome to the SynergyOS monthly newsletter for December 2023.

SynergyOS​

Permissions improvements​

For the next few months we will be working on additional permissions functionalities thanks to the feedback and suggestions from our partners. Our goal is twofold: how can we add some additional features while we make permissions even easier to use for most users?

This is not an easy task since the permission system is one of the core pillars of Synergy. We are excited with the progress so far and can't wait to share more in the coming months.

Tools​

SaaS and Enterprise​

Performance improvements and bug fixes.

2024-01 Roadmap​

The upcoming features on our roadmap for October include:

• New permission system
• Improvements to the Matrix Preview for communications (chat,voice,video)

The SynergyOS team

Welcome to the SynergyOS monthly newsletter for November 2023.

SynergyOS​

Preview: integration of the open-source Matrix.org protocol for chat, voice, and video into Synergy​

We're very excited to announce the initial preview of the integration of Matrix, the open-source protocol for secure, decentralized communication, into Synergy. This integration not only enables seamless, interoperable messaging and calls but also introduces real-time synchronization of files with Synergy's version control, over the Matrix protocol. This pioneering step significantly enhances SynergyOS, providing users with a robust, flexible environment for cross-company collaboration and communication. From now on, you don't need to switch platforms to communicate and collaborate.

Tools​

SaaS and Enterprise​

Performance improvements and bug fixes.

2023-12 Roadmap​

The upcoming features on our roadmap for October include:

• Improvements to the Matrix Preview for communications (chat,voice,video)

The SynergyOS team