September 2018 Summaries

Hurricane Florence recently caused significant destruction in the Southeastern United States, resulting in around $44 billion in damages and ranking among the top 10 costliest hurricanes in U.S. history. In response, Team Rubicon, a veteran-led nonprofit disaster response organization, has been actively involved in relief efforts, utilizing technology platforms like Box to enhance coordination, collaboration, and operational efficiency. Founded eight years ago, Team Rubicon leverages the skills of military veterans and first responders to deploy emergency response teams swiftly and effectively, with over 85,000 volunteers engaged in nearly 300 global operations. The organization uses Box to streamline processes, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and operate cost-effectively, allowing them to deploy resources efficiently as soon as a disaster is detected. Their ongoing efforts in areas still recovering from previous hurricanes demonstrate the marathon nature of disaster recovery, with technology playing a crucial role in supporting these endeavors. Team Rubicon's partnership with Box exemplifies how innovative technological solutions can transform nonprofit operations and enhance their impact on disaster-stricken communities.

The Box team attended Microsoft Ignite 2018 in Orlando to demonstrate how Box and Microsoft technologies can collaboratively enhance the future of work. Box is a unified platform for managing, securing, sharing, and governing content, integrating seamlessly with Microsoft applications and over 1,400 other tools, making it a trusted resource for over 87,000 customers, including a significant portion of the Fortune 500. At the conference, Box highlighted two offerings that utilize Microsoft Azure: Box Skills and Box Platform. Box Skills, showcased at BoxWorks, brings intelligence to Box content by applying Azure AI and machine learning technologies, enabling features like image labeling and speech-to-text transcription. Box Platform allows developers to incorporate Box's content services into custom web and mobile applications, leveraging Azure's scalable infrastructure and additional services such as Azure Active Directory and Azure Event Grid for enhanced functionality and security. Box invited attendees to explore these innovations further at their booth in the Expo area.

Many colleges and universities are adopting Box, a cloud content management platform, to enhance digital transformation and modernize IT strategies for students, faculty, and staff. Notable institutions like Duke University, Georgia Tech, and the University of Nebraska are implementing Box for streamlined content management, improved security, compliance, and enhanced collaboration, both internally and externally. The platform facilitates seamless information access and productivity, supporting initiatives such as encryption key management and data retention through tools like Box KeySafe and Box Governance. Since its inception in 2015, Box for Education has enabled educational institutions to reduce costs, eliminate the maintenance of legacy systems, and encourage collaboration across campuses, while benefiting from strategic partnerships, like the one with Internet2, to offer unlimited storage and enterprise licensing for eligible non-profit education customers.

The new and improved Box for NetSuite integration enhances the ability of teams to access and collaborate on files directly within the NetSuite environment, a leading cloud enterprise resource planning solution. This integration simplifies workflows by organizing, storing, and sharing Box content without leaving NetSuite, ensuring that content remains secure and compliant. Box for NetSuite is particularly beneficial for managing high volumes of documents like purchase orders and invoices, eliminating the need to search multiple systems for files and attach them manually to records. New features include a nested Box folder structure, custom folder naming, and permission mapping, all of which enhance user navigation and administrative flexibility. The integration is lauded for empowering teams to work smarter and more efficiently, as highlighted by Penny Sehu-Mun from Kovarus, and is designed to unify content across business applications with robust security and compliance features.

BoxWorks 2018 showcased a series of significant announcements and discussions, emphasizing the evolution of digital workspaces and the role of technology in enhancing collaboration and automation. Key highlights included the introduction of new features such as the Activity Stream and Box Feed, which aim to streamline file access and updates, as well as the Box for G Suite integration allowing seamless collaboration with Google’s productivity tools. The event also spotlighted the Box Skills Kit, which supports custom AI integrations for enterprise content enhancement, and updates to Box’s task and automation capabilities designed to simplify workflow processes. Furthermore, Box underscored its commitment to social impact through partnerships with organizations like the International Rescue Committee and Think of Us, while emphasizing themes of diversity and inclusion in technology during the Box Women's Network Summit, featuring influential speakers like Emily Chang and Patty McCord.

An intern's experience at Box highlights the company's supportive and positive culture, which is emphasized by its core value of allowing employees to bring their unique selves to work. The intern appreciated the open-mindedness and approachability of team members, as well as the opportunities to make significant contributions, such as enhancing Box's sharing experience as a software engineering intern. Additionally, being paired with a mentor through the Box Young Professional Network (YPN) provided valuable insights into different career paths and the interconnectedness of product and engineering teams. The intern concluded the experience feeling proud of their work and appreciative of Box's combination of strong corporate culture and impactful work environment.

Robert Burkhart, the Technology Planner for New Technology Innovation at Nationwide Insurance, has been recognized as Box's "Innovator of the Month" for his contributions to modernizing workplace technologies and improving employee empowerment. With a focus on technology innovation, Burkhart has implemented flexible mobile device management programs and cloud-based solutions that enhance both employee efficiency and content security. His approach involves engaging with various business units and partners to ensure that technology changes are grounded in comprehensive analyses, resulting in a more efficient and secure digital workplace. Despite the challenges of transforming a 92-year-old company, Burkhart is committed to finding tools that accommodate a diverse workforce and is inspired by the potential of emerging technologies like machine learning and the Internet of Things. He emphasizes the importance of assembling the right virtual teams from different disciplines to drive successful digital transformation.