Drop.io Adds Scribd's iPaper For Smoother File Browsing

Drop.io, a file storage and sharing service, has partnered with Scribd to bring streamlined document viewing to the site. From now on all supported documents that have been uploaded to Drop.io will be viewable in Scribd’s Flash-based iPaper viewer.

Drop.io’s “drop box” storage isn’t exactly unique, but it has a nice interface and a few key features that help differentiate it from the pack. Earlier this year the site rolled out “Voice”, which allows users to call a number and record voice messages of any length, which can be used as personal notes or for podcasting. iPaper will allow users to view documents in a wide variety of formats (including most major office files) in any browser that supports Flash.

Adding Scribd’s iPaper will remove the hassle of opening attachments, but it seems like Drop.io is playing catchup – Box.net, a similar service, offers iPaper integration and lets users edit their files using Zoho. It’s possible that Drop.io is aiming for simplicity over a more complete feature set, but allowing for platform-agnostic file editing probably wouldn’t hurt. Other players in this space include Box.net and Dropbox.