March 2016 Summaries

Entrepreneurship in the U.S. is thriving, fueled by a strong belief in the power of hard work and the right tools to ensure small business success, as demonstrated by Box, which grew from a modest startup to a significant player over a decade. Box is now part of a new initiative by the Small Business Technology Coalition (SBA), which aims to provide small businesses with streamlined access to innovative technology platforms like Box, along with digital education and enterprise training. The coalition's goal is to equip entrepreneurs with resources and technology to connect with customers, scale operations, and conduct business securely, offering tools for online commerce, payment platforms, and content management. The SBA's support for small businesses, through counseling, capital access, and federal contracts, has been significant, backing $120 billion in small business loans and supporting millions of jobs. This partnership with technology leaders is seen as a way to further enhance the SBA's mission and bolster entrepreneurship by integrating technology tools and education into the support ecosystem, making technology a foundational element for businesses of all sizes.

Box emphasizes the importance of integrating security and compliance into a seamless user experience for content management, highlighting their new Box KeySafe service as a key solution. Box KeySafe, an advancement of their Enterprise Key Management system, offers two options for encryption: a hardware-based configuration with AWS CloudHSM and a software-based approach using AWS Key Management Service (KMS). The recent launch of Box KeySafe with AWS KMS makes it accessible to small IT teams, allowing them to control their master encryption keys independently and maintain an unchangeable audit log without altering the end-user experience. This service is designed to meet contractual, regulatory, and intellectual property protection needs while maintaining Box's usability and governance standards. Box encourages users to explore these capabilities through their on-demand webinar and provides further information on their website.

As companies increasingly adopt cloud technologies, platforms like Highspot and Box have emerged to enhance the efficiency of sales teams by improving content management and collaboration. Highspot leverages real-time analytics to connect sales and marketing teams, enabling them to access and track customer engagement with the most relevant content. Its integration with Box allows seamless collaboration on sales collateral, ensuring that teams always work with the most current version of content, while Box's APIs facilitate automatic updates and metadata management. This integration enables sales teams to present updated content to customers without workflow disruptions, even if the original file is deleted in Box. Companies such as Concur have experienced significant improvements in sales efficiency, with their sales reps saving considerable time in content management and increasing overall productivity. The powerful combination of Box and Highspot exemplifies how advanced software solutions can streamline sales and marketing processes.

Retailers face increasing challenges in staying relevant amidst rapid consumer behavior changes and an array of emerging tools and technologies, necessitating the swift and effective implementation of innovative strategies. This situation creates a demand for productivity solutions that can seamlessly integrate with existing IT infrastructures while maintaining enterprise-level security. Many retailers are leveraging cloud-based ecosystems, such as the Box + Microsoft Office 365 combination, to achieve this balance. This partnership enhances Office 365 by providing a collaborative content management platform, improving team productivity, offering granular content security, and enabling interoperability with Microsoft's solutions. Despite having OneDrive for Business included in their Office 365 licenses, some of the world's largest retailers are opting for Box due to its ability to manage content across the organization flexibly and effectively. The combination of Box and Office 365 is increasingly seen as essential for retailers prioritizing security and productivity, underscoring Box's modern content management capabilities that simplify and enhance IT operations.

Over the past decade, there has been a significant transformation in workplace dynamics, technological devices, and security requirements, with Box playing a crucial role in facilitating enterprise content management and collaboration for many Fortune 500 companies. The future of business technology is expected to shift from single-task solutions to integrative technologies that enhance connectivity and collaboration within extensive ecosystems. The Box World Tour 2016 serves as a platform for organizations to explore digital transformation through the Box Platform, featuring networking opportunities with leaders and sessions on critical topics. Attendees can learn from customer experiences about creating digital experiences that improve product and service delivery and employee productivity. The event also includes a keynote by Jeetu Patel, discussing the shift towards every company becoming a software company and offering advice on navigating industry changes. Participants can engage with Box Platform experts for demonstrations and discussions on leveraging the platform for business transformation.

Box has announced a new partnership with Okta to enhance its Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) offering, enabling secure access to Box content on mobile devices. This collaboration addresses the growing need for organizations to allow employees to work from any device without compromising security. Okta's integration with Box for EMM facilitates seamless single sign-on (SSO) and user provisioning, allowing administrators to manage access across various devices effectively. The solution automatically secures content, even when employees leave the company, by de-provisioning Box access. Available for iOS and Android for Work devices, Box for EMM with Okta offers a comprehensive solution for enterprises seeking secure and flexible content management across mobile platforms. The partnership also integrates with other mobility management providers, ensuring customers have various options to manage their content securely.

At the Box World Tour Tokyo 2015, Box announced the launch of "Box over VPN" in collaboration with NTT Communications, aiming to enhance secure content management and collaboration for Japanese enterprises. This solution integrates Box's cloud capabilities with NTT Com's enterprise network, providing a secure environment for data management that meets the demands of regulated and security-conscious industries like government and finance. As Asia's first distributor of Box over VPN, NTT Com will offer this service through Arcstar Universal One, a private network service available globally. The partnership allows organizations to utilize Box without internet exposure, ensuring data protection, centralized maintenance, and increased productivity through seamless file collaboration and unlimited storage capacity. This launch represents a significant milestone for Box in Japan, enabling broader deployment across various sectors and reducing costs associated with file management.

Box has been recognized as a leader in The Forrester Wave™ report for Enterprise File Sync and Share Platforms and Enterprise Content Management, highlighting its strengths in areas such as architecture, collaboration, security, and usability. A commissioned study by Forrester Consulting revealed that organizations using Box's solutions achieved a significant return on investment, including reduced IT spending and improved security, exemplified by an 8,000 employee company realizing a 405% ROI. Box's strategic focus on modernizing business processes and digitizing content has driven substantial growth, with a 40% year-over-year revenue increase and a customer base of over 57,000. The platform's ability to support digital business initiatives has attracted major global enterprises across various industries, including finance, healthcare, and government, making Box a preferred content management partner for large and regulated organizations.

Brainlab AG, a German medical technology company specializing in image-guided surgery, radiation oncology, and medical image exchange, is adopting Box to facilitate global team access to information on any device, enhancing collaboration and productivity. This move supports Brainlab's ongoing digital transformation and innovation in fields such as surgery, radiotherapy, and medical image sharing, which are crucial for treatments in radiosurgery and various surgical disciplines including neurosurgery and orthopedics. With headquarters in Munich and offices across multiple continents, Brainlab is committed to using Box to manage and share content securely, both internally and externally, thereby boosting operational efficiency and supporting their mission to aid healthcare providers and patients worldwide.

An Amicus Brief was filed in support of Apple following the U.S. Government's request for the company to create software that bypasses the iPhone's security features, raising significant concerns about digital privacy and security. This request has sparked a complex debate about the balance between national security needs and the protection of personal privacy, as well as the broader implications for international technology standards and trust in digital platforms. The brief emphasizes that modern economic growth and societal progress are heavily reliant on secure and trusted technology, and cautions against creating "backdoors" that could be exploited by other nations or bad actors. Former national security officials have argued that secure communications, protected by robust encryption without government access, are in the greater public interest. The ongoing debate highlights the need for nuanced collaboration among governments, tech companies, and consumer groups to ensure that security remains a priority in the evolving digital landscape.

Box has unveiled new capabilities for its Box for Healthcare solution at HIMSS, focusing on simplifying data sharing and reducing manual processes within healthcare systems by leveraging cloud technology. The updated solution, which now includes the FDA-cleared Box DICOM viewer as a Class II Medical Device, Box Governance, consulting services, and partner integration, aims to transform healthcare workflows. Healthcare providers can build HIPAA-compliant custom applications using Box's enterprise-grade features, such as encryption and metadata management. Companies like eHealth Technologies are utilizing the Box Platform to streamline referral management workflows and ensure secure sharing of medical documents, facilitating seamless patient transitions between care providers. Box's platform enables the development of secure and efficient applications, enhancing data management and collaboration across the healthcare industry while aiming to revolutionize how businesses engage with their extended ecosystems.

Aaron Levie, reflecting on his experience during the 9/11 attacks, underscores the importance of supporting law enforcement while cautioning against measures that could compromise security and privacy, such as the FBI's request for Apple to create a backdoor into iPhones. He argues that while short-term security strategies might seem appealing, they pose long-term risks, especially as digital systems increasingly underpin our personal and economic lives. Levie emphasizes that any backdoor, regardless of intent, could potentially aid criminals rather than thwart them. He advocates for stronger encryption, more nuanced digital controls, and collaboration between industry, law enforcement, and lawmakers to ensure both security and justice without eroding privacy. Levie also highlights the necessity of a thoughtful public debate and well-considered legislation to address these complex issues, rather than relying on impromptu judicial requests.