If a reader has discovered the solution or found that Microsoft has added this feature since this writing, please share it in the comments. In today’s phishing-filled email world, that is unfortunate. I was surprised that it didn’t respect the existing corporate branding in Azure. I have not found that this email can be customized or branded yet. On the customer end of things, if you choose to email them directly here’s what that email will look like. Not only does it let you know that there are new files, but notice that the name of the file has been altered to prepend the name of the person that uploaded the file. Below is what that notification looks like. Notice this lovely dialog box and especially the bottom text that you will receive a notification via email when your customer has uploaded a file. This link is permanent, so you’ll want to save that link and just email it to any new customer that needs to send you files.Īlternatively, you can type in their email address and send that email directly from this dialog box. In this one, you can press the Copy link button to copy the link that people will use to upload their files. When you press the “Request files” button, a new dialog box opens. Note that the Request file button doesn’t appear until you select the folder. Now select that folder and then press the Request files button on the toolbar. Below you can see that I’ve created one called, rather obviously, Receive Files. Go to your OneDrive for Business website. Let’s look at how it works and an example of security, policy, and automation that you might consider adding to the base feature set. Since Office 365 subscribers already own this tool its usage is likely to grow rapidly. It also identifies who uploaded the file, notifies you of received files, and allows you to add policy and automation to make it a truly enterprise-worthy solution. OneDrive’s Request Files feature builds on the existing file-sharing capability by adding features that keep the data segregated so your customers don’t see each other’s files. It was never built for the security or compliance issues we have today. FTP was invented back when the Internet was a private venture between a few universities and governments. While I’ve mentioned FTP, let’s take a moment of silence for the death of one of the first protocols of the Internet. If you’re still using FTP or are paying for a third-party solution, you’ll want to check this out as an alternative. I’m not sure why that is, because it’s really great. Microsoft was pretty quiet about its release of the Request Files feature in OneDrive. It was one of the first anywhere to take a deep dive into Microsoft’s new OneDrive Request Files feature and is a fitting selection for TechGenix’s 20 Best of 2020.
![office 365 onedrive for business icon missing taskbar office 365 onedrive for business icon missing taskbar](https://content.spiceworksstatic.com/service.community/p/post_images/0000303542/5acd2fb3/attached_image/onedrive-file-explorer-sharing-960x584.png)
This tutorial from February was one of our most popular of the year, and rightfully so. She shares this knowledge with TechGenix readers on a regular basis. As the owner of a successful MSP, Amy Babinchak helps her clients use technology so their companies can operate better and more efficiently.