April 2017 Summaries

Companies increasingly rely on efficient teamwork, but balancing productivity with IT security can be challenging. Box addresses these issues by enhancing its Groups and Single Sign-On (SSO) functionalities, improving collaboration and security management. A reimagined Groups experience now offers an intuitive UI, expanded Group Admin roles with customizable permissions, and self-serve SSO to streamline user provisioning. This allows for simplified content sharing and access management, enabling IT to delegate administrative tasks to line of business owners or project managers. The new Groups homepage in the Box Admin Console facilitates easy group creation and management, while granular permission settings help control access to sensitive content. Developers can also manage Groups through the Box API, integrating them into broader applications. Self-serve SSO supports large-scale projects by automating account provisioning and is accessible within the Admin Console, integrating with providers like PingFederate, Okta, and OneLogin. These enhancements are available for Business accounts and above, with Group Admin delegation and self-serve SSO in beta for Business Plus accounts.

Box has launched its Box for Government initiative, enabling over 6,500 government agencies to manage their content securely in the cloud, addressing challenges posed by legacy technology and disconnected data platforms. This initiative aims to enhance government flexibility and responsiveness while maintaining data security, as evidenced by Box's authorization at the DoD SRG Level 4 and pursuit of FedRAMP HIGH certification. The platform allows for secure management of sensitive information in compliance with ITAR, CJIS, and IRS-1075 standards, and offers a solution for self-managing encryption keys through AWS GovCloud. Box's capabilities, including Retention Management and secure content classification, help streamline government processes and improve efficiency across various states and cities like the District of Columbia, Atlanta, and Nevada. The push for modernization comes as legacy systems consume a vast majority of the federal IT budget, highlighting the need for more agile, secure, and cost-effective cloud solutions to meet evolving mission requirements and citizen expectations.

Giuliano Iacobelli, CEO of Stamplay, discusses the integration of Box and Docparser to automate the extraction of data from PDF forms, thereby eliminating manual data entry and enhancing business efficiency. The process involves creating a parser in Docparser to identify fields for data extraction, which is then linked to Box's Metadata feature to store and search custom data. This automation is achieved through pre-built templates called Blueprints in Stamplay, allowing users to connect their Box and Docparser accounts, configure workflows, and apply extracted data as metadata on Box files. This integration reduces the time and resources spent on paperwork, improving productivity by simplifying the digitization of key business processes. The solution highlights the ease of automating back-office tasks using cloud services and APIs to streamline operations and boost growth for businesses.

Financial services are facing significant disruption due to rapid technological advancements and regulatory pressures, with FinTech startups emerging as key players by offering consumer-friendly, innovative solutions unencumbered by legacy systems. This shift has prompted traditional financial institutions to rely more on IT for efficiency and digital product development while balancing the need to support existing technologies and comply with stringent regulations. Box is aiding these companies by providing cloud content management solutions that enhance customer experiences and operational efficiencies, replacing outdated technologies. Financial services firms utilize Box Platform for various applications, such as securely managing loan documents, facilitating insurance claims, creating client document vaults, and enabling collaboration in investment processes, all while ensuring compliance and security through advanced permission models.

Earth Day 2017 emphasizes the importance of educating people about environmental preservation and the threat of climate change, with the aim of inspiring action for environmental protection. Box.org highlights the efforts of The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which life depends, aiming for a world where biodiversity thrives. The Conservancy operates globally across 69 countries, employing over 600 scientists and collaborating with various partners, including governments and local nonprofits. Box plays a crucial role in supporting The Nature Conservancy's mission by streamlining communication and coordination among its widespread chapters, thus enabling effective collaboration and project management. This technological support helps them focus on their larger mission of conservation by minimizing the logistical challenges of managing content and communication across multiple locations.

"Bring Your _______ Self to Work" is a central tenet of Box's culture, illustrating the company's emphasis on diversity and individuality among its employees, as showcased in an interview with Erica Lubtiz, a Sales Engineer at Box's San Francisco office. Originally from New Hampshire, Erica joined Box in 2014 as a Sales Development Representative and has since transitioned to various roles, culminating in her current position where she combines her sales experience with her background in graphic design to assist clients. Her notable achievements include securing a significant deal within the Healthcare sector involving Box Keysafe, which underscored the product's security benefits. Erica values the collaborative, team-oriented environment at Box, actively participates in community projects, and appreciates the product's blend of power and simplicity, which drives customer productivity. Despite challenges like managing diverse industries and time zones, she remains focused on her goals, such as increasing client engagement at BoxWorks and improving her work-life balance, all while cherishing memorable experiences with company leaders like Aaron Levie.

Fujitsu has officially become a reseller of Box in Japan, marking the beginning of a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing cloud content management services in the region. This collaboration, initially established in March 2017, is designed to boost Box sales and offer innovative software solutions to Japanese businesses across various industries. By leveraging Fujitsu's market presence, Box aims to provide organizations with secure cloud content management solutions that facilitate new ways of working. This strategic partnership follows Fujitsu's launch of its Enterprise Application Digital Global Communication Service in December 2016, which includes Box as a key component. Both companies are exploring further collaboration opportunities, including the development of Fujitsu solutions that integrate with Box, signaling a deepening relationship in the cloud content management space.

Box and Workplace by Facebook have launched their first integration, enabling seamless collaboration for businesses using Box's cloud content management and Workplace's communication platform. Announced at the F8 Conference, this integration allows users to access, share, and collaborate on Box content directly from Workplace, enhancing team productivity and workflow efficiency. The integration supports real-time project collaboration and maintains Box's robust security controls, ensuring secure content management. The partnership is already benefiting organizations like Oxfam, which utilizes the integration to strengthen networks and manage data effectively. Box emphasizes its commitment to creating a unified experience by integrating with various applications, facilitating better collaboration and data management across platforms.

The Data Privacy Radar series by a data privacy team highlights the necessity of global data privacy governance for organizations operating in a borderless digital landscape, emphasizing the importance of compliance with regulations like the GDPR, which is viewed as the new benchmark for personal data protection. Box's commitment to achieving the highest standards of data privacy is demonstrated through its successful approval of Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs) by EU data protection authorities, enabling secure transfers of personal data outside the European Economic Area. The series underscores the holistic approach required for data privacy governance and the strategic role of mechanisms like the APEC Cross-Border Privacy Rules (CBPRs) in complementing global efforts to meet privacy obligations. Box's efforts assist global clients in efficiently navigating diverse regulatory landscapes, with future discussions in the series set to cover compliance with various international privacy standards and trends.

In the Forrester Wave report for Q2 2017, the company has been recognized as a Leader in Enterprise Content Management (ECM) for Business Content Services, highlighting its success in adapting to the evolving ECM market. Forrester notes a significant shift in the industry towards cloud-first roadmaps, with a focus on usability, analytics, and collaboration as key differentiators. The ECM market, estimated to be worth $8 billion in 2017 and growing, is transitioning from on-premises solutions to modern cloud-native architectures, opening opportunities for new competitors. The company experienced substantial growth, adding 15,000 new customers and achieving a 32% increase in revenue, particularly among large enterprises in sectors like Financial Services and Healthcare. Notable new clients include major organizations such as Volkswagen Group of America, Hulu, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. IBM was also recognized as a leader alongside the company in the report.

Ryan Ball, an Enterprise Account Executive at Box's New York City office, shares insights into his role and experiences in a company culture that encourages employees to bring their authentic selves to work. Ryan, who transitioned from IBM in Boston, enjoys the impact his performance has on Box's quarterly outcomes, contrasting it with his previous job where such achievements felt less significant. A highlight of his tenure at Box includes a major win with a leading pharmaceutical company, which showcased the collaborative support within Box, including involvement from the CEO, Aaron Levie. Ryan is motivated to achieve his Sales Club target for the second consecutive year and aims to double his closed revenue from the previous year, reflecting the ambitious and supportive environment at Box.

Box World Tour Europe, held in London, is an event focused on cloud content management, featuring sessions with business leaders from organizations like UEFA, Oxfam, and Rémy Cointreau. The event highlights a keynote by Box CEO Aaron Levie and BT's Steve Masters, discussing collaboration opportunities to advance cloud technology adoption in Europe. Industry leaders from Google Cloud, IBM, and Slack are also present to share insights on the future of work, emphasizing the transformative potential of cloud computing, mobile devices, bots, and AI in enhancing productivity. The conference underscores the importance of technology in supporting everyday tasks, thus allowing more focus on creative problem-solving. The event is supported by sponsors such as IBM, Okta, and Netskope and encourages participants to follow updates and engage with the conversation on social media using the hashtag #BoxWorldTour.