If your organization has access to a commercial Microsoft 365 subscription, you can integrate Anchor with Microsoft 365 apps, allowing users to edit files from within the Web Portal. 

During the editing session, files are automatically saved, and all versions are tracked. 

Advanced functionality includes:  

• Quickly view or edit files directly from the Web Portal, without needing to download files or use local applications.
• Access a wide range of formatting tools to manage fonts, images, charts, styles, and more.
• Edit and collaborate using the Track Changes and Commenting features.
• Track file changes and revisions automatically through the auto-save feature.
• Collaborate with co-authors in real time. 

Microsoft 365 license requirements

To use this feature, you need access to a commercial Microsoft 365 subscription. Users will be prompted to sign in before they can edit files in the Web Portal using their Microsoft 365 apps.

Supported users

Currently, only administrators and fully authenticated Standard users can access this feature.

Guest accounts and anonymous users will not be able to access their Microsoft 365 apps from the Web Portal.

Supported file formats

The following file formats can be edited using Microsoft 365 apps:

• Microsoft Word (.docx)
• Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx)
• Microsoft Excel (.xlsx)

Turn on the Microsoft 365 policy

Before Standard users can edit files using their Microsoft 365 apps, an administrator must turn on the Microsoft 365 Integration policy. 

You can turn on this policy when creating a new organization, or you can update this policy for an existing organization.

To turn on the Microsoft 365 Integration policy for an existing organization:

1. In the administrative Web Portal, navigate to the organization you want to update and click the Settings

2. In the Settings page, click the Policies tab.

3. In the Policies tab, scroll down to the Microsoft 365 Integration section and configure your integration preferences:

• Click the Enabled for Editing radio button to allow authenticated users to read and edit files using their Microsoft apps.
• Click the Enabled for Read-only radio button to allow authenticated users to read (but not edit) files using their Microsoft apps.
• Click the Disabled radio button to turn off Microsoft 365 integration settings.

4. Click the Save button to save your changes.

View and edit files using Microsoft 365 apps

To view or edit files using Microsoft 365 apps:

1. In the Files tab of the Web Portal, navigate to the file that you want to view.

2. Right-click a supported file, point to Open in, and select the appropriate Microsoft 365 app.

(In this instance, we are selecting Word Online).

The file automatically locks and will be marked with an Editing icon in the Web Portal.
 

3. If you are not logged in to Microsoft 365, you will be prompted to sign in.

Click the Sign in with a work or school account button to continue.

4. After you are authenticated, the file opens in the Microsoft 365 app.

Note: If the Enabled for Read-Only option is configure in the administrative Web Portal, you will only be able to view the file, as indicated by the warning ribbon. 

Please note: When an End User uses Office Online to view and/or edit, Office Online keeps a temporary copy of the file being viewed and edited for the purposes of rendering and making changes to the file.

Office Online is a Microsoft service and use of Office Online is subject to Microsoft’s terms of use and privacy policy.

Advanced functionality

When working in your Microsoft 365 apps, you can access advanced functionality, including:

1.	Click the File tab to rename your file. Note: If you are working in the Excel app, you will also have access to the Save As feature, which allows you to save to a different file. This new file will be saved to your root folder.
2.	Click the Home tab to manage your clipboard, change fonts, control paragraph settings, and apply styles as defined in your file. You can also access the Find and Replace feature if needed.
3.	Click the Insert tab to add page breaks, tables, pictures, links, and comments; you can also control headers, footers, and footnotes.
4.	Click the Layout tab to manage margins and page formatting options.
5.	Click the References tab to insert a Table of Contents or other reference tools.
6.	Click the Review tab to manage the Spell Check feature, add comments, and show editing activity.
7.	Click the View tab to set preferred viewing settings. For example, you can control the display of the navigation page, adjust zoom settings, and so forth.
8.	Click the Help tab to access the Microsoft Help file.
9.	Click the Comments button to expand or collapse the Comments panel.

End an editing session

Click the Return to My Files link when you are finished editing.

You can also close your browser tab to end the editing session.

All changes will be automatically saved.

Note: The Sign Out link currently signs you out of Anchor; it does not sign you out of Microsoft 365. This functionality will change in future releases.

 

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Known Issues

Issue #1

Summary

On the Web Portal, when attempting to open a file using Microsoft 365 applications with Apple Safari on MacOS, sometimes the browser tab will loop between loading the Microsoft 365 application and the x360Sync Web Portal.

Prerequisites for the issue to occur:

• Using Apple Safari on MacOS

When a user performs the following actions:

1. Open Web Portal on Apple Safari for MacOS
2. Navigate to My Files, Shared File or Folder
3. Open a file using the Microsoft 365 application

A new browser tab will be opened and it will loop between trying to load the Microsoft 365 application and the Web Portal.

Workaround:

Clear the browser cache and retry to open the file with a Microsoft 365 app.

Microsoft acknowledged the issue and there is chance it will be fixed in future versions of Microsoft 365. 

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Issue #2

Summary

On the Web Portal, a file opened using a Microsoft 365 editor and closed improperly remains locked, instead of being unlocked after some time automatically.

As designed, a file will be unlocked after the editing session is over -  in this case, when the browser tab with Microsoft 365 application is closed.

When a user performs the following actions:

1. Open the Web Portal using any browser
2. Navigate to My Files, Shared File or Folder
3. Open a file using a Microsoft 365 application
4. Close the browser tab before the Microsoft 365 application is fully loaded

In some cases, the file remains locked after the tab with Microsoft 365 application is closed.

Workaround:

1. Open the file again and wait for the Microsoft 365 application to load completely,
2. Close the browser tab with Microsoft 365, and the file will soon be unlocked.

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Issue #3

Summary

The Microsoft 365 application does not load when cross-site cookies are blocked.

Prerequisites for the issue to occur:

• Using a web browser or a web browser plugin that blocks cross-site cookies

When a user performs the following actions:

1. Open Web Portal on Apple Safari for MacOS
2. Navigate to My Files, Shared File or Folder
3. Open a file using the Microsoft 365 application

The Microsoft 365 application will not load, and the file will not open.

This issue does not occur with industry-standard browsers such as Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari without extra plugins.

Workaround:

Change the web browser or plugin settings to allow cross-site cookies to verify authentication. This will prevent this issue from occurring.

Microsoft is planning to resolve this issue in a future release.