February 2017 Summaries

Box has recently expanded its cloud content management platform by welcoming 24 new partners, bringing its total to over 175. These new integrations enhance Box's capabilities by allowing access to its features within various applications. Some notable partners include Aha!, which integrates Box's file storage with its product management tool; Auth0, which enables seamless authentication and identity management; and Kony, offering mobile application development services. Other partners such as Mendix, Mulesoft, Nintex, Sailpoint, and Sinequa provide diverse services ranging from digital transformation platforms to workflow automation and cognitive search. These collaborations aim to offer users better content management and workflow efficiency through advanced integrations.

The "Bring Your _______ Self to Work" series at Box highlights the diverse backgrounds and values of its employees by featuring interviews with team members such as Casey Duncheon, a Corporate Account Executive. Casey shares her journey at Box, beginning with the Emerging Small Business team, and her passion for outdoor activities and dogs. She emphasizes her role in educating customers about cloud technology and the Box Platform, overcoming challenges like customer skepticism about cloud security, and contributing to Box's success through innovation aligned with industry changes. A memorable career high for Casey was receiving the Grinder Award for her dedication and hard work, while a humorous incident involving a company-wide email with a meme led to an endearing exchange with Box's co-founder, Aaron Levie, showcasing the company's supportive and light-hearted culture.

Manual, paper-based processes are common in organizations, often involving documents like sales contracts and legal agreements. To address this, Box and Adobe Document Cloud have collaborated since 2016 to streamline digital document handling within enterprises. Early integrations allowed users to access and edit PDFs stored in Box without downloading them and set Box as the default cloud provider for Adobe. Recently, an integration with Adobe Sign was introduced, enabling users to initiate the digital signature process directly from the Box document preview page, thereby easing traditionally cumbersome paper processes. This integration also offers visibility and security throughout the document's lifecycle, with automatic saving and live monitoring capabilities.

As businesses increasingly adopt digital transformation, the demand for custom applications surpasses the capacity of most development teams, prompting the rise of low-code platforms like Mendix. These platforms allow rapid application development with minimal coding, using visual editors and lifecycle support. Box has announced an integration with Mendix, enabling developers to incorporate Box's content services into Mendix applications easily, facilitating content-centric processes such as HR onboarding and expense management. This collaboration, which already benefits companies like Endemol Shine Group, reduces the time needed to develop applications from months to mere days or weeks. The partnership aims to continue innovating by creating reusable application templates for various industries, enhancing the speed and quality of solutions provided to customers and employees.

The newly launched Box Developer Console, available in open beta, offers a redesigned interface and enhanced functionality to simplify the process of creating, configuring, and managing applications using Box APIs. With a refreshed user interface and guided walkthroughs tailored to specific use cases, users can efficiently develop apps by accessing support and reference documentation, submitting feedback, and managing app settings such as adding collaborators or deleting apps. The console also provides quick links for creating and managing webhooks and accessing SDKs, aligning with the design language of Box's web and mobile apps. Users can enable the new console for their accounts and provide feedback through various channels, including Twitter and the Box Developer Forum.

Box has announced several enhancements to its developer experience, focusing on improving API documentation through crowdsourcing, introducing interactive documentation for API testing, and launching the API Navigator tool. The crowdsourcing initiative allows developers to suggest edits and additions to the Box API documentation, which are then reviewed and potentially published by the Box Developer Relations team. This not only enhances the documentation but also helps Box understand developers' needs better. Additionally, the new interactive documentation lets developers test the API directly within the reference material, while the API Navigator provides a real-time, split-screen view to demonstrate how different API endpoints can be used in applications. To further support developers, Box has introduced a new Developer Console in beta, featuring a refreshed interface and guided walkthroughs, aimed at simplifying app creation and management using the Box API. These developments are part of Box's commitment to providing a seamless and efficient experience for developers, akin to the approach of companies like Zapier.

Bill Bodin, CTO of Kony Inc., and his team have developed a mobile field worker application in partnership with AWS, Box, and Clarifai, designed to assist technicians in recognizing and repairing assets efficiently. The application employs Clarifai's image recognition technology, integrated through AWS Lambda, to identify scanned parts and retrieve corresponding documentation from Box, leveraging Box's 3D rendering capabilities for interactive object manipulation. The solution is built with Kony for application development, AWS for runtime services, Clarifai for computer vision, and Box for cloud content management, providing a seamless and efficient workflow for field service technicians. The process involves using the Box JavaScript Preview SDK for 3D model visualization, while AWS services manage identity, storage, and serverless computation. This innovative approach was demonstrated at Amazon Re:Invent and showcases the integration capabilities of Kony Visualizer, Clarifai, AWS, and Box, illustrating a practical application of advanced technology in field service operations.

Box Notes is a versatile tool that enhances productivity and collaboration by allowing users to securely create, share, and manage notes across multiple platforms, including web, mobile, and now desktop. It facilitates effective meeting management by enabling teams to create and share agendas, capture ideas in real-time, and review action items with ease. For brainstorming sessions, Box Notes allows contributors to collaborate asynchronously, fostering unique ideas without the pressure of groupthink, and enables voting and tagging for efficient follow-up. It streamlines project planning by integrating project notes, conversations, and deadlines in one location, linking to related files and maintaining team alignment. Additionally, Box Notes helps users stay organized by tracking action items and personal to-do lists amidst the demands of a busy workday. Users are encouraged to explore the desktop app and share feedback with the Box Notes team via social media or email.

In response to the growing complexities and significance of the life sciences industry, Box has announced a partnership with Medidata Solutions to enhance regulated content management for life sciences companies. Medidata, known for its cloud-based clinical technology, will utilize the Box Platform to build applications that comply with 21CFR, Part 11 requirements, as well as develop an electronic Trial Master File (eTMF) application. Box, which already serves over 650 life sciences organizations by providing secure cloud collaboration solutions, aims to extend its user-friendly platform to manage both unregulated and regulated content. This collaboration will allow joint customers, including major pharmaceutical companies, to leverage Box's content management capabilities alongside Medidata's expertise in clinical trials, ultimately improving efficiency and ROI for life sciences enterprises. Through Box's open APIs, Medidata will create enterprise-grade applications that enhance user experiences while accelerating development, underscoring the adaptability and scalability of Box's cloud-based solutions for this highly regulated industry.