Abstract: A method and an agent (500) are provided for the management and control of data files, in particular, the management of shared documents across a network to enable collaboration between users. The agent (500) comprises a collaborative event manager (180) to detect changes made to an open copy of the file that is associated with a first client device (100); a network manager (155) to determine whether a connection can be made with one or more further clients devices (130) connected to a network (120); and an offline manager (170) couplable to the network manager (155) to persist changes detected by the collaborative event manager (180) when a connection cannot be made; wherein the network manager (155) is adapted to selectively transmit the changes across the network (120) to one or more of the said further client devices (130) when a connection can be made, thereby instructing one or more respective agents to apply said changes to respective copies of said file.

Abstract: A method and an agent (500) are provided for the management and control of data files, in particular, the management of shared documents across a network to enable collaboration between users. The agent (500) comprises a collaborative event manager (180) to detect changes made to an open copy of the file that is associated with a first client device (100); a network manager (155) to determine whether a connection can be made with one or more further clients devices (130) connected to a network (120); and an offline manager (170) couplable to the network manager (155) to persist changes detected by the collaborative event manager (180) when a connection cannot be made; wherein the network manager (155) is adapted to selectively transmit the changes across the network (120) to one or more of the said further client devices (130) when a connection can be made, thereby instructing one or more respective agents to apply said changes to respective copies of said file.