April 2019 Summaries

Box has prioritized advancing security technology to support organizations' digital transformation, exemplified by their Box KeySafe solution, which allows customers to control encryption keys for content stored within Box without affecting user experience. By partnering with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Box enables customers to use AWS Key Management Service (KMS) and now supports AWS KMS Custom Key Store, offering the security of dedicated hardware without the need for customers to manage physical devices. This advancement allows Box customers, including those in highly regulated industries, to avoid the capital and operational costs associated with managing multiple hardware security modules (HSMs) while still meeting stringent compliance requirements. KeySafe simplifies key management with features like auto failover, on-demand scaling, and S3 backups, providing a streamlined interface for access control. This development signifies Box's commitment to delivering accessible, top-tier security solutions for a diverse range of organizations, from large multinationals to smaller entities like the security auditor Schellman. The updated Box KeySafe is now available, offering enhanced encryption key management for cloud content.

Box, a secure content management and collaboration platform, has announced its membership in the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) to enhance the security of its services as it integrates further with Microsoft's security products. This partnership aims to help organizations protect their valuable content against sophisticated threats by leveraging a strong partner ecosystem. Box has long collaborated with Microsoft, integrating with services like Microsoft Office 365, Azure Active Directory, Intune, and Microsoft Cloud App Security, allowing joint customers to manage and secure their data effectively. The collaboration is expected to bring innovations that align with business requirements, furthering Box's mission to facilitate secure digital transformation and improve user experience through enhanced cloud security capabilities.

Box has enhanced its legal hold capabilities by adding folder-level holds and improved its eDiscovery integration with Exterro, facilitating easier content management for organizations during eDiscovery processes. These advancements aim to streamline legal reviews while maintaining user productivity, helping organizations navigate the complexities of increased unstructured content, data privacy laws, and industry regulations. Traditional ECM systems and governance processes are struggling to adapt, prompting a shift toward cloud content management solutions like Box's Cloud Content Management. Over the past four years, Box has positioned itself as a robust information governance solution, offering features like FINRA-compliant retention management, legal holds, and content classification. As organizations seek to modernize their infogov strategies, companies like Broadcom and Nationwide have turned to Box to reduce risk and efficiently manage the content lifecycle across their extended enterprises.

Box has announced the extension of two-factor authentication (2FA) to external users, enhancing organizations' ability to protect sensitive content from external threats while maintaining collaboration with external workforces. This move addresses the dual need for enterprises to control external access amidst rising cyber threats, such as the significant increase in credential compromise through phishing, and to leverage the critical contributions of external workers to company performance. The 2FA feature is part of Box's core security measures, offering simple yet powerful admin setup with flexible enrollment options and a seamless user experience for both existing and new external collaborators. This enhancement aligns with the emerging 'zero trust' information security model, which emphasizes user identity over location for accessing resources, thereby allowing enterprises to enforce consistent security measures across both internal and external users without disrupting workflow.

In the context of an increasingly connected and competitive business environment, companies are advancing digital transformation initiatives that require integrating security and governance into new digital processes from the start. Box, a cloud content management platform, emphasizes five core principles to support secure digital transformation: frictionless security, extended enterprise collaboration, easy deployment of encryption, robust security ecosystems, and effective information governance. Box has introduced several innovations, such as frictionless security measures designed for minimal user disruption, enhanced secure sharing and two-factor authentication for external users, and a partnership with Amazon Web Services for advanced encryption management. The company also prioritizes collaborations, such as with Symantec and Microsoft, to enhance security and productivity through integrated solutions. Box's focus on information governance includes advancements in eDiscovery capabilities, supporting companies in managing content lifecycle and compliance with new data privacy laws. These initiatives demonstrate Box's ongoing commitment to providing secure, user-friendly solutions for digital transformation.

Box has launched a public beta for its updated UI enhancements to the Tasks and Notifications web experiences, designed to improve collaboration and task management. The new Task Center allows users to view all their actionable work, including incomplete tasks, providing a streamlined way to manage and unblock tasks. It also introduces the option to create general or approval tasks, enhancing traceability and audit history for approval processes. Additionally, the updated Notifications UI on the web, soon available on mobile, offers a single view of new and relevant activities, such as file additions and comments on interactions. These updates aim to address common issues with traditional task management systems by offering more effective tools for tracking action items and approvals within Box.

Box recently conducted workshops in Boston and New York City, aiming to demonstrate how its developer tools and APIs can be utilized to extend and integrate Box's functionalities into various business processes and systems. As companies undergo digital transformations, developers are playing an essential role in integrating Box into internal systems, ensuring that content is centralized, secure, and compliant across productivity tools and IT tasks. Box's content APIs offer a versatile toolkit for building custom solutions, with common applications including unifying content across platforms like Salesforce and Slack, automating IT tasks, and applying security policies. These integrations help eliminate siloed content systems, enabling strategic use of content across processes like loan origination and product lifecycle management. Furthermore, Box encourages the creation of customized content experiences, such as client portals and employee apps, to enhance access and collaboration. The workshops are designed to accelerate the developer journey by teaching foundational topics and practical applications of the Box Platform and APIs, with resources available at developer.box.com for further learning and exploration.

For nearly a decade, Box and Microsoft have collaborated to enhance productivity, security, and infrastructure for their shared customers, highlighted by the enduring popularity of their Office 365 suite integrations. They have announced a new Box Add-in for Microsoft Outlook, which integrates Box's capabilities directly into the email experience, allowing users to access, manage, and secure files stored in Box without leaving Outlook. This integration not only simplifies the process of attaching files and setting access permissions but also enables recipients to save emails and attachments directly to Box, thereby boosting productivity by eliminating the need to toggle between applications. The Box Add-in supports multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and web, ensuring users can work efficiently and securely from anywhere. This development underscores the companies' commitment to delivering seamless digital experiences and enhancing collaboration for businesses worldwide.

Box has introduced several enhancements to streamline file management and collaboration, addressing the challenge of managing increasing volumes of content. Users can now manage pending invitations more efficiently from a single location, whether they involve coworker collaboration requests or company-mandated actions like 2-factor authentication or term acceptance. Sharing content is simplified with updates allowing shared links, collaborator invitations, and permission management from a centralized view. Additionally, an enhanced thumbnail preview feature enables users to navigate files quickly by viewing every page as a thumbnail, reinforcing Box's commitment to providing a seamless experience in content management and collaboration. Feedback and suggestions are encouraged through the Box Community or Twitter.

Box has announced a new integration with G Suite, utilizing the latest G Suite Add-ons framework to enhance user experience in apps like Gmail and Google Calendar. This collaboration with Google Cloud aims to streamline work and collaboration by allowing users to access, share, and manage their Box content directly from within the Google Calendar interface, thus maintaining centralized control over critical content. The partnership, which has been evolving since 2016, is designed to simplify common tasks and reduce manual work, featuring capabilities such as searching and browsing Box content, managing content permissions, attaching Box files to event invites, and detecting Box files in received invites. As a launch partner for the new framework introduced at Google Cloud Next ‘19, Box is committed to unlocking new use cases for customers while ensuring content security and compliance. The Box G Suite Add-on will soon be available in beta, offering a unified content experience that saves users time and enhances accessibility.

World Fuel Services, a prominent company in the energy sector, has chosen Box as its cloud content management platform to enhance global workforce connectivity and digital customer engagement. This collaboration marks a significant step in World Fuel Services' transition to digital business operations, integrating Box with a suite of cloud applications such as Slack, Microsoft O365, Salesforce, and Zoom to manage content centrally and digitize vital business processes. Serving clients across over 200 countries, World Fuel Services is constructing a modern cloud technology stack with Box to ensure seamless digital experiences, robust security, and compliance. The company's focus remains on cost management and operational efficiency, with collaboration and integration as central elements of its IT strategy. By leveraging Box, World Fuel Services aims to create a system of record for unstructured data, streamline customer service, and maintain GDPR compliance, ultimately demonstrating how modern technology can significantly enhance both employee and customer experiences.

Equal Pay Day serves as a reminder of the persistent wage gap between men and women, highlighting the additional months women must work to earn what men did in the previous year. At Box, the company has achieved pay parity in the U.S. and has signed the California Pay Equity Pledge to address pay inequality by conducting annual gender pay analyses and reviewing hiring and promotion processes. The ACLU has found that the wage gap is more pronounced for women of color, with Latina women earning significantly less compared to white men. Elizabeth Gill from the ACLU emphasizes that equal pay is part of a broader gender justice issue, impacting not just women in Silicon Valley but also colored and trans women. Active participation and leadership from the private sector are crucial for cultural change, as diverse perspectives can lead to better business decisions and a more inclusive workplace culture.

Oktane, a prominent cloud technology event, attracts numerous IT, security, and business leaders annually, with Box participating for the seventh consecutive year as a Platinum sponsor. Box and Okta, long-standing partners, provide integrated solutions that enable enterprises to centralize and securely manage content as they transition to the cloud, thereby enhancing business agility. More than 1,000 customers, including notable companies like Amgen, Farmers Group, and Warner Bros Entertainment, utilize the combined offerings of Box and Okta to automate account management, ensure content accessibility, and maintain secure content management. At the event, attendees are invited to a session where customers will discuss how they have accelerated business processes using Box and Okta, highlighting the importance of streamlining collaboration and content-driven processes in a competitive business environment. Additionally, the Box booth will showcase the latest updates, including workflow automation and intelligent security features, with opportunities for live demos and the chance to win Apple AirPods.