Image Sharing and Updating with Multiple Ipads

[Brow]

I work for a company that deals with fabrics. Recently the sales staff switch from printed paper fabric swatch books to digital images on the iPads.

The idea is great and was easy to maintain when there was only 2 ipads to maintain. Now that the sales staff has increased, I have multiple ipads that I need to update everytime a fabric changes or more gets added to the collection...one by one. We are currently using the app: PhotoManager Pro. The app isn't bad as it allows me to FTP images via WiFi but now, I am looking for something a little better that will allow perfect sync.

The fabric designer provides the finalized jpg files in a shared folder on our network and then I go in to each ipad via WiFi to provide the updates. We would like to have it to where if there is a change made (update, delete, rename, etc) on the network folder, the files could somewhat auto-sync.

Is there an app for that?

I am hoping that someone out there may have a better resolution or know of a better app that will allow for smoother operations.

 

[Mickey330]

Do your iPads/sale people have access to the Internet while away from the home office? I ask because it sounds as if some sort of cloud storage will work for you - but you'll need access to the Internet to access the cloud.

For example, take something like Dropbox. You can put all the pictures into Dropbox and sort them in various folders. Then, your sales staff can access those folders via the (free) Dropbox app. The pictures can be displayed on the iPad from within the Dropbox app or downloaded to the iPad.

That's about the best solution I can think of. Plus, it provides the added benefit that the updates only need to be made to the ONE Dropbox account (which can be done from a personal computer). So, it may make your job easier, also. Just a thought...

Marilyn

 

[Kricke]

Marilyn's idea is a very good one. Easy to realize but you / your sales staff have to manually sync the files.
If you want to use an automatic syncing method this might work: (But it is way more complicated)

You need something like your own WebDAV server or again dropbox.
You need the app Goodreader and its ability to automatically sync files or folders. (I do not know whether syncing will work with FTP)

The finalized image files are uploaded to the cloud storage. Within Goodreader you or your sales people tap on the sync button and the files are updated, deleted, added or ....
You are done.

Does this make sense and does it help?

Knut

 

[addiosamigo]

Dropbox already does this, and there is no need for goodreader. Any file added, modified or deleted will update on dropbox. If there is 100 staff then when they loaded up dropbox any changes to files would be reflected. Although for this to happen and internet connection would be required

 

[Kricke]

This is correct, dropbox does this. But only if you are connected to your dropbox.
If you are not, you have to manually download each and every file in advance.

Knut

 

[addiosamigo]

This is correct, dropbox does this. But only if you are connected to your dropbox.
If you are not, you have to manually download each and every file in advance.

Knut

I was assuming that everyone would have the same account, created especially for the staff

 

[Brow]

Thank you for the suggestions. Dropbox was my first thought when this project began but haven't played around with it since...I think that I'll jump back into it and see what I can come up with based on all your helpful input.

I am sure that I will find this out upon playing with Dropbox, but one of the good things with the Photomanager Pro app that the sales team likes is the ability to create customer specific folders. When on a sales call, they can create a specific folders and make copies of the fabrics or image files that they particularly like.

Thanks again for the suggestions and I will take a look at Dropbox!

 

[addiosamigo]

Goodreader can do this, but im sure you can make folders in dropbox using the actual app!