It was around three years ago when the idea behind CloudOn was born. 

I had a smartphone, a PC, a Mac and a netbook. And, while these were great devices on their own, none of them actually worked together to help me be productive.  I found myself with different files and applications on different machines. I had to email files back and forth to get my data and buy application licenses for each device. 

Now, even more devices, like the iPad, have taken the market by storm, and each act as an individual silo for these applications and data. So, instead of life getting simpler, we find ourselves carrying multiple devices to perform different tasks with different information. 

This was a main motivator for the creation of cloud storage services. While these services have done a great job of addressing the mobility of files, this only solves half of the problem. We also need our applications and the inability to get to them is adversely impacting productivity.

This is where CloudOn is making a difference. 

CloudOn’s goal is to enable mobile productivity through the delivery of a workspace that links applications, files and people in an experience that “just works.” 

In early January, we took our first steps toward reaching this goal with the initial release of CloudOn. This version provided a workspace that delivered Microsoft Office® connected to your Dropbox account in an experience optimized for a touch-based device. Within 12 hours of launching the app, it became the #1 free iPad app, trumping even the gaming apps. 

For me, this validated the journey we’ve embarked upon — the entrepreneur’s walk thru the desert and the initial fund-raising meetings were suddenly a distant memory. We were the hottest app on the AppStore, and, I’d be lying if I said seeing that constant 4+ star rating in the AppStore isn’t a pretty cool feeling. 

Today marks another exciting moment for CloudOn.

I am excited to announce we are officially announcing ourselves as a company.  And, we felt there was no better way to celebrate our coming out than by releasing version 2.0 of the workspace. It’s even more robust and feature-rich, giving our users the things they need to get their work done. I believe our team has set the standard for a killer mobile productivity solution, and we have just started scratching the tip of the iceberg. 

Our plans are to fundamentally change the way we create/consume/share information across all our devices. I cannot help but get excited of the road ahead.

I look forward to seeing your reaction to our latest release, working with you on the future workspace, and – above all – I sincerely thank you for your continued support of CloudOn. 

- Milind