OnlyOffice explained

OnlyOffice
Logo Size:	200px
Developer:	Ascensio System SIA
Operating System:	Windows macOS Linux Android iOS
Programming Language:	HTML, JavaScript, C++
Genre:	Office Suite, Project management, Collaboration, CRM, Document Management
License:	AGPL-3.0-only
Language:	25 languages

OnlyOffice (formerly TeamLab), stylized as ONLYOFFICE, is a free software office suite and ecosystem of collaborative applications. It consists of online editors for text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, forms and PDFs, and the room-based collaborative platform.

OnlyOffice is delivered either as SaaS or as an installation for deployment on a private network. Access to the system is provided through a private online portal.

OnlyOffice Docs

OnlyOffice includes an online editing suite called OnlyOffice Docs which comprises:

• Document editor (styling and formatting tools, objects, table of contents, bookmarks, document comparison, mail merge, etc).
• Spreadsheet editor (functions and formulas, table templates, named ranges, charts, equations, pivot tables, conditional formatting, macros, etc).
• Presentation editor (formatting tools, objects, style options, transitions, animations, Presenter mode, Slide Master).
• PDF editor (text editing, adding/deleting/rotating pages, inserting objects, text annotations, including highlight, underline, cross out; comments, freehand drawings).
• PDF form creator & filler (PDF forms, multiple fillable fields, extended field properties).

The suite also allows collaborative editing.^[1] Communication tools include commenting, chatting, Zoom, Jitsi, and Rainbow plugins for audio and video calls.^[2] The editors also provide revision history and change-tracking features.

The beta version of OnlyOffice Docs predecessor, Teamlab Document Editor, was introduced at CeBIT 2012 in Hannover. The product was built using Canvas, a part of HTML5 that allows dynamic, scriptable rendering of 2D shapes and bitmap images.^[3]

The basic formats used by OnlyOffice Docs are OOXML (DOCX, XLSX, PPTX) and DOCXF and OFORM. Other types of supported formats (ODT, DOC, RTF, EPUB, MHT, HTML, HTM, ODS, XLS, CSV, ODP, PPT, DOTX, XLTX, POTX, OTT, OTS, OTP, XML, XPS, DjVu and PDF-A) are processed with inner conversion to DOCX, XLSX or PPTX if editing is possible.

The suite's functionality can be extended using plugins (side applications). Users can choose from the existing list of plugins or create their own applications using the provided API.^[4] OnlyOffice Docs also supports integration via WOPI.^[5]

OnlyOffice DocSpace

OnlyOffice DocSpace is a cloud collaboration platform by OnlyOffice that combines online editors and a sharing environment based on rooms.^[6]

Rooms of different types can be created:

• In Collaboration rooms, users have access to all editing tools in the editors and can freely access any content.
• In Public rooms, it is possible to invite users via external links to allow them to view files without registration, as well as embed the room contents into web interfaces.
• In Custom rooms, following roles can be granted: room manager, power user, viewer, editor, commenter, reviewer, and form filler, with corresponding level of access to the files in the room.

Along with various access levels, DocSpace admins can adjust the security settings to control the login procedure and prevent data leaks, including such options as 2FA and Single Sign-On, trusted mail domains and session lifetime, IP restriction, etc.^[7]

OnlyOffice DocSpace integrations

For developers and integrators, OnlyOffice provides open API which allows integrating DocSpace into own web applications – both separate rooms or the whole space.^[8]

!Integration!Developers!Languages!License!Current version!Features

Zoom	Ascensio System SIA	C#, HTML, CSS	GNU AGPL v3.0	2.0.0	Collaborating on office documents during Zoom Meetings Managing files between meetings via the DocSpace account
WordPress	Ascensio System SIA	PHP, JavaScript, CSS	GPL-2.0	2.1.0	Adding DocSpace rooms or files to the WordPress pages Storing, editing, collaborating on documents without leaving the WordPress interface
Drupal	Ascensio System SIA	PHP, JavaScript, CSS, Twig	GPL-2.0	1.0.0	Embedding office documents into a Drupal website Managing documents from the Drupal account
Zapier	Ascensio System SIA	JavaScript	Apache-2.0	1.0.1	Automating workflow using zaps for DocSpace and various apps like Asana, Slack, HubSpot, Discord, Linear, etc.

Implemented AI technologies

In February 2023, OnlyOffice released the first version of the ChatGPT plugin^[9] with a basic set of features, such as text generation based on a user’s prompt, question answering, translation, text summarization and conversation-style communication.^[10]

In January 2024, version 1.1.4 of the plugin was released which provided new tools for document editing and access to GPT-4.^[11]

Another AI helper integrated in OnlyOffice is the ZhiPu Copilot plugin which supports Chinese language and uses the local knowledge base.^[12]

International editions

International editions of OnlyOffice in various countries include:

• CloudStor Online collaborative documents by AARNet, Australia's national research and education network, was based on the OnlyOffice office suite.^[13] CloudStor was decommissioned by AARNet in December 2023.^[14]
• In Czechia, OnlyOffice is marketed as a part of the IceWarp solution, a Czech alternative to M365 or GSuite.^{[15] [16]}
• The integration between the OnlyOffice suite and Jalios JPlatform (France) enables users to author and co-author text documents, spreadsheets and presentations online from their Jalios platform.^[17]
• Document, presentation, and spreadsheet editors within the encrypted office suite CryptPad (France) is an integration of OnlyOffice.
• OnlyOffice is used in ByCS (BayernCloud Schule), the platform for digital support in everyday school life launched in Bavaria, Germany.^{[18] [19]}
• Teppi Technology, a Japanese developer of file sharing and search systems, integrated OnlyOffice in the enterprise search engine called FileBlog.^[20]
• OnlyOffice document, spreadsheet and presentation editors are marketed as R7-Office in Russia.^[21]
• Infomaniak (Switzerland) integrated OnlyOffice into the kDrive suite under their brand to provide users with the ability to edit office documents.^[22]
• PDFFiller (USA) which offers native OnlyOffice Documents PDF Editor.^[23]

Technology

OnlyOffice Docs (Document Server) maintains text document, spreadsheet, presentation, PDF, and form editors, and is technologically based on HTML5 Canvas, JavaScript SDK, and Node.js for server-side scripting.

OnlyOffice DocSpace is based on the .NET Core and the latest version of .NET for the server side, and React for the client side. Other technological components for the back-end include С#, MySQL, Kafka, ElasticSearch; for the front-end — ES6, CSS/SASS, Mobx, Styled-Components, i18next, Webpack 4/5.

OnlyOffice Workspace comprises Document Server, Community Server, and Mail Server. The Community Server is written in ASP.NET for Windows and in Mono for Linux and distributions. The Mail Server is based on the iRedMail package which consists of Postfix, Dovecot, SpamAssassin, ClamAV, OpenDKIM, Fail2ban.

Desktop and mobile apps

OnlyOffice Desktop is an offline version of OnlyOffice editing suite.^[24] The desktop application supports collaborative editing features when connected to the portal,^[25] Nextcloud, ownCloud,^[26] kDrive,^[27] Seafile,^[28] or Liferay. It is offered free of charge for both personal and commercial usage.

The desktop editors are cross-platform available for Windows XP or later (x86 and x64), Debian, Ubuntu and RPM-based Linux distributions, macOS 10.10 and newer, including computers built on Apple Silicon. Besides platform-specific versions there is also a portable option. OnlyOffice Desktop Editors are available for installation as Flatpak, snap and AppImage packages on Linux.

In early 2019, OnlyOffice announced the launch of a developer preview of end-to-end encryption of documents (files themselves, online editing and collaboration) that involves blockchain technology and is included in the functionality of the desktop suite.^[29] In 2020, the developers announced Private Rooms based on AES-256 algorithm and RSA asymmetric encryption.^[30]

OnlyOffice Desktop Editor is available by default in the following operating systems:

Name	Availability
Br OS	Pre-installed
Cutefish OS	Available in official store
Deepin	Available in official store
Escuelas Linux	Pre-installed
Linkat	Pre-installed
Linspire	Pre-installed
Linux Mint	Available in official store
LinuxFX	Pre-installed
Manjaro	Available in Pamac
risiOS	Pre-installed
SparkyLinux	Pre-installed
Ubuntu	Available in official store
Zorin OS	Available in official store

History

• In 2009, a group of software developers from Ascensio System SIA (Latvian-based) and New Communication Technologies (Russian-based) launched a project called TeamLab, a platform for internal team collaboration.^[31]
• In March 2012, TeamLab introduced the first HTML5-based online document editors at CeBIT.^[32]
• In July 2014, TeamLab Office was officially rebranded to OnlyOffice and the source code of the product was published on SourceForge and GitHub on terms of AGPL-3.0.^[33]
• In March 2016, the developers released a desktop application – OnlyOffice Desktop Editors, which is positioned as an open-source alternative to Microsoft Office.^[34]
• In February 2017, the first integration app for ownCloud/Nextcloud was launched.^[35]
• In January 2022, the project introduced OnlyOffice Forms.^[36]
• In May 2022, a new office branch was opened in Tashkent, Uzbekistan as a development hub.^[37]
• In April 2023, OnlyOffice released new solution – OnlyOffice DocSpace.^[38]
• In August 2023, OnlyOffice opened a holding company in Singapore and incorporated all the existing branches (those in Latvia, USA, UK, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Serbia) under the one brand. Ascensio System SIA was to become 100% owned by the British-based Ascensio System Ltd, which in its turn was to become 100% owned by OnlyOffice Capital Group Pte. Ltd. The beneficiaries of OnlyOffice Capital Group Pte. Ltd. are listed in the registry of Singapore companies by ACRA. ^[39]
• In October 2023, OnlyOffice released the native PDF editor.^[40]
• In February 2024, OnlyOffice introduced RTL support.^[41]
• In June 2024, OnlyOffice released the full-featured PDF editor.^[42]

See also

• Comparison of office suites
• Collaboration platform
• Collaboration software
• List of collaborative software
• List of office suites
• Project management software
• List of project management software

Notes and References

1. Web site: TeamLab, A Canvas-Based Document Editor, Wants To Send Microsoft Office 365 Back to the Drawing Board TechCrunch. O'Hear. Steve. 9 January 2014 . 21 June 2017. 10 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180110175626/https://techcrunch.com/2014/01/09/teamlab/. live.
2. Web site: Africa . IT News . 2022-11-05 . ONLYOFFICE Docs Review: A Reliable Document Collaboration Tool . 2023-12-03 . IT News Africa Business Technology, Telecoms and Startup News . en-US.
3. News: W3C CEO calls HTML5 as transformative as early Web. IT World Canada. 21 June 2017. 2 October 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181002141656/https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/w3c-ceo-calls-html5-as-transformative-as-early-web/45986. live.
4. Web site: ONLYOFFICE connector ownCloud marketplace. marketplace.owncloud.com. 15 October 2020. 16 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201016231809/https://marketplace.owncloud.com/apps/onlyoffice. live.
5. Web site: ONLYOFFICE Docs 6.4 Released With Conditional Formatting And WOPI Support . Itsubuntu.com. 2022-08-04.
6. Web site: Neeraj Paruthi . 2023-05-26 . ONLYOFFICE DocSpace: The New and Better Way to Collaborate on Documents With Customers and Partners . 2023-06-23 . MUO.
7. Web site: Organizing Secure Document Collaboration: How to Install ONLYOFFICE DocSpace Server on Linux Linux Journal . 2023-12-03 . www.linuxjournal.com.
8. Web site: ONLYOFFICE Api Documentation - Overview . 2024-03-01 . api.onlyoffice.com.
9. Web site: 2023-02-14 . ONLYOFFICE Adds ChatGPT and Zoom Integration . 2024-03-01 . It's FOSS News . en.
10. Web site: Content . Partner . 2023-09-13 . ChatGPT Plugin in ONLYOFFICE: Generate Texts, Images, Summarize, Translate and More . 2024-03-01 . Beebom . en-US.
11. Web site: 2024-01-23 . Polish your texts with the new version of the ChatGPT plugin . 2024-03-01 . ONLYOFFICE Blog . en.
12. Web site: 适用于 ONLYOFFICE 的智谱 AI 插件现已发布. 2024-06-20.
13. Web site: Online collaborative documents. 2023-12-04.
14. Web site: CloudStor (Decommissioned) . 2024-06-20.
15. Web site: IceWarp - poczta i praca grupowa inaczej (BrandsIT) . 2019-01-04. 2023-12-04.
16. Web site: Urban . Petr . Zkusili jsme webovou kancelář IceWarp. Česká konkurence pro Microsoft a Google je levnější a má vše potřebné . 2024-03-11 . Živě.cz . cs.
17. Web site: Jalios and ONLYOFFICE join forces to equip businesses with effective collaborative. 2023-12-04.
18. Web site: Office . 2023-12-04.
19. Web site: How to Build an Open Source School Cloud for 5 Million Users . 2024-03-01 . fosdem.org . en.
20. Web site: 社内サーバーのOffice文書を、社外からWebブラウザで直接編集できる「. 2020-11-09. 2023-12-04.
21. Web site: Отечественный конкурент Google Workspace обновился. 2023-12-04.
22. Web site: kDrive : la première solution de stockage collaborative 100% suisse pour les PME et les particuliers . 2020-02-03. 2023-12-04.
23. Web site: Native ONLYOFFICE Documents PDF Editor. 2023-12-04.
24. News: OnlyOffice: An Open Source Microsoft Office Contender Worth Your Time. MakeUseOf. 21 June 2017. 19 June 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170619121446/http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/onlyoffice-open-source-microsoft-office/. dead.
25. Web site: How to use plugins (add-ons) in ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors. howtoforge.com. 21 June 2017. 16 November 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161116184746/https://www.howtoforge.com/tutorial/how-to-use-plugins-add-ons-in-onlyoffice-desktop-editors/. live.
26. Web site: ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors for Christmas ONLYOFFICE Blog. 21 December 2018. 12 July 2019. 12 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190712112241/https://www.onlyoffice.com/blog/2018/12/onlyoffice-desktop-editors-for-christmas-with-more-features-and-connection-to-owncloud-nextcloud/. live.
27. Web site: ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors v7.0: moduli compilabili, nuova modalità di avvio, integrazione con kDrive e Liferay e molto altro. Aggregatore GNU/Linux e dintorni. 2022-01-19. 2022-04-26.
28. Web site: How to Connect ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors v.6.3 to Your Seafile Server. Linux Today. July 2021. 2022-04-26.
29. Web site: ONLYOFFICE – document collaboration via blockchain and encryption -. Brett. Charles. 29 April 2019. Enterprise Times. 12 July 2019. 12 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190712112243/https://www.enterprisetimes.co.uk/2019/04/29/onlyoffice-document-collaboration-via-blockchain-and-encryption/. live.
30. Web site: ONLYOFFICE Private Rooms: the ultimate security of document collaboration. 2020-10-16. 2023-02-27.
31. Web site: Microsoft Office, Google Docs beware: This open-source startup is after your users. ZDNET. 2024-06-24.
32. Web site: W3C CEO calls HTML5 as transformative as early Web . 2012-03-06. 2024-06-24.
33. Web site: Entering a new stage under a new brand: Teamlab Has Grown into ONLYOFFICE . 2014-07-04. 2024-06-24.
34. Web site: How to use plugins (add-ons) in ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors. 2024-06-24.
35. Web site: How to Integrate OnlyOffice with ownCloud . 2017-02-15. 2024-06-24.
36. Web site: OnlyOffice Adds Fillable Forms Compatible with Microsoft Office and Adobe. 2022-03-01. 2024-06-24 .
37. Web site: ITPARK - Our Residents. 2024-06-24.
38. Web site: ONLYOFFICE DocSpace: The New and Better Way to Collaborate on Documents With Customers and Partners. 2023-05-26. 2024-06-24.
39. Web site: Singapore Business Directory. 2024-06-24.
40. Web site: ONLYOFFICE 7.5 Released with New PDF Editor + More - OMG! Ubuntu. 2023-10-19. 2024-06-24.
41. Web site: ONLYOFFICE 8 Released with PDF Encryption, RTL Support - OMG! Ubuntu. 2024-02-14. 2024-06-24.
42. Web site: ONLYOFFICE Docs 8.1 released . 2024-06-19. 2024-06-24.