QloudData Partnered with Nextcloud to Introduce Hub 5, An AI-Powered Digital Workspace
Berlin, June 13, 2023 – Partnering with Nextcloud, a pioneer in ethical AI, QloudData has introduced on-premises AI capabilities integrated into its digital workspace, making it the first of its kind in the market. As the tech industry rushes to integrate AI services, concerns about data leaks have prompted governments and global firms to restrict their usage. Hub 5 positions itself as the preferred collaboration platform for organizations handling sensitive data.
The immediate availability of Hub 5 brings enhanced integration of secure file exchange, video conferencing, groupware, and office document editing, all centered around the concept of the digital workspace. Additionally, it offers flexible and privacy-protecting AI capabilities. Notable AI features include:
- Smart Inbox in Mail and Related Resources
- Face and object recognition in Nextcloud Photos
- Background images in addition to background blurring in Nextcloud Talk
- Image generation using Stable Difussion
- Translation with Nextcloud Translate, integrated in Nextcloud Talk and Nextcloud Text to translate your chat messages and text documents
- Nextcloud Dictation for voice recognition integrated across Nextcloud Hub
- Call transcripts of recorded video calls
These integrations operate solely on the Nextcloud server, ensuring zero data leakage to third parties. They are optional and can be easily installed from the Nextcloud App Store with a single click by the server administrator. Nextcloud continues to develop on-premises alternatives for other AI features, with more updates expected later this year.
For those interested in using external online AI services, the release offers optional translation through Deepl and ChatGPT, image generation using DALL-E, and text generation using ChatGPT. These features can be installed from the App Store. Additionally, Hub 5 introduces an app that integrates GPTZero, an online service designed to detect AI-generated texts.
To enhance collaboration, administrators can assign a Groupfolder to a Circle, allowing employees to manage custom groups themselves. Groupfolders are now easily accessible in the sidebar of Files and the mobile applications. The Desktop client introduces automated file locking to prevent simultaneous local edits, and Nextcloud Talk introduces breakout rooms for brainstorming sessions or classroom use. Furthermore, a beta version of the Talk Desktop Client for Windows, Mac, and Linux is in the works.
Nextcloud Mail caters to the needs of government and large organizations by introducing S/MIME encryption and shared folders. The introduction of Nextcloud Tables enables efficient management of structured data locally, reducing reliance on cloud services.
In collaboration with Sendent, Nextcloud unveils a rewrite of the existing Outlook integration on Microsoft’s latest platform, extending compatibility to MacOS and the Outlook web interface. The new Exchange Connector allows syncing of Nextcloud Calendar and Contacts data with Outlook, providing a seamless user experience. Integration with Microsoft Teams simplifies the exchange of securely stored Nextcloud documents within Teams chat.
Nextcloud Hub 5 is designed for environments with official security classifications like VS-NfD in the German Government. Updated security capabilities include Nextcloud’s unique End-to-End encryption, which now supports shared folders and direct upload into encrypted folders from a public File-Drop page. Support for the ICAP standard enables integration with Data Loss Prevention tools and anti-virus applications. The new File Classification feature identifies sensitive data like credit cards or identity numbers in documents and applies appropriate tags, allowing administrators to enforce security policies.
For developers, Nextcloud Hub 5 introduces key features to streamline app development, including OpenAPI-based documentation and the OCS Viewer app for browsing and testing the Open Collaboration Services API. Additionally, Developer Toolkits for Rust, Python, TypeScript, and Go simplify integration with apps using these languages.
The release of Hub 5 signifies a significant upgrade for the Nextcloud ecosystem, with its prominent AI features and substantial improvements to team collaboration.
