November 2020 Summaries

In response to the global pandemic, Box and Box.org are participating in GivingTuesday.org's global generosity movement by organizing their annual Global Impact Day, now in its third year, to engage Boxers worldwide in charitable activities despite physical distancing. This year's entirely virtual event, inspired by an internal Hackathon, encourages employees to engage in "Social Haction," either by developing initiatives for social impact or by volunteering with nonprofits, supported by grants from Box.org. The focus areas include building a diverse tech pipeline, supporting nonprofit digital transformation, and community engagement. Box is part of the Pledge 1% community, advocating for consistent corporate giving, and has partnered with organizations like Career Village, Love For Our Elders, Community Pods, Sydney Basket Brigade, St Giles Trust, and Hands on Tokyo to support various social causes.

Disruptive asset management firms are increasingly adopting advanced technologies like applied intelligence and analytics to stay competitive, enhance customer experience, and streamline operations. Box, a cloud-based platform, is highlighted as a versatile tool that enables asset managers to efficiently manage content, collaborate securely, and automate processes, thereby improving client servicing and brand differentiation. The platform supports integration with popular business applications, providing flexibility and a consumer-like experience that appeals to tech-savvy professionals. A notable implementation of Box is Morgan Stanley's "Digital Vault," which offers clients a modern and efficient wealth management experience. By using Box, asset managers can create cost-effective, visually appealing investor portals and enhance processes like onboarding and KYC, ultimately fostering profitable client relationships and positive brand perceptions.

In the wake of the pandemic, business leaders rapidly adapted to remote work, driving years' worth of innovation in just months and creating a flexible work environment that many employees have come to embrace. During the BoxWorks Digital event, CEOs from major tech companies like Box, Slack, Zoom, and Okta discussed the challenges and adaptations in transitioning to remote work, emphasizing the importance of flexible, hybrid work environments even after the pandemic. They highlighted the need for employees to create personalized workspaces and for companies to reconsider how work is done, suggesting a shift from synchronous video calls to asynchronous communication. The discussion also focused on the diverse app ecosystem, noting that no single app fits all needs and that a variety of tools are required to support different job functions and teams effectively. The pandemic accelerated digital transformation, demonstrating that productivity can thrive outside traditional office settings and opening up possibilities for reimagining work structures in the future.

In developing the Box for Slack app, the engineering team aimed to create an intuitive experience for users to share, search, and collaborate on Box content within Slack, while ensuring that IT administrators felt comfortable installing it. The process involved engaging with a diverse range of customers to gather security, legal, and compliance requirements, and identifying patterns to inform feature development. The team emphasized granular admin controls for content access through the Box Admin Console, which were validated with customers to ensure they met specific organizational needs. Additional best practices highlighted include avoiding broad scopes in app permissions, localizing the app for diverse audiences, conducting thorough security and compliance reviews, and performing QA testing to improve app quality and facilitate the review process. These strategies were aimed at fostering deeper adoption among security-conscious customers and ensuring a robust, secure application.

Box has been recognized as a Leader in the 2020 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Content Services Platforms for the second consecutive year and as a Gartner Customers' Choice vendor for Content Collaboration Tools, with a high customer recommendation rate. Positioned as a major disruptor in the rapidly evolving Content Services Platforms (CSP) market, Box has shifted market share from traditional ECM vendors by offering simple, intuitive tools that cater to the demand for ease of use and adoption. The company's cloud-based platform is highlighted for its frictionless security, seamless collaboration capabilities, and extensive integrations with over 1,500 apps, which have been particularly advantageous during the COVID-19 crisis by enabling secure remote collaboration. Box's user-friendly experience, open API framework, and intelligent productivity features have earned the trust of more than 100,000 organizations worldwide. Additionally, Box has received various accolades, including recognition in Forrester's New Wave and IDC's MarketScape reports, further solidifying its position in the CSP market.

The webinar featuring Cheryl McKinnon from Forrester Research explored the shift in business priorities due to COVID-19, emphasizing the need for digitization of critical processes to enhance business optimization. McKinnon highlighted the importance of automating tasks related to paper-based workflows to ensure business continuity in remote work settings, suggesting that organizations prioritize processes that drive revenue growth and customer retention. The discussion also addressed the financial constraints faced by companies, categorizing them into survival, adaptive, and growth modes, each requiring different digital transformation strategies. Cloud content management emerged as a key investment for companies adapting to remote work, offering advantages like infrastructure security, scalability, and continuous innovation, which are crucial for maintaining operations and enhancing customer and employee engagement. CIOs were advised to evaluate cloud platforms based on usability, security, and integration capabilities, ensuring flexibility and avoiding dependency on limited technology partnerships to remain resilient in the evolving business landscape.

Securing remote work environments extends beyond technology, requiring a comprehensive approach that fosters trust across entire ecosystems, as discussed by an executive panel hosted by Lakshmi Hanspal, Global CISO at Box. The transition to remote work has expanded attack surfaces, necessitating a zero trust architecture that includes employees, partners, and the supply chain while protecting customer data and intellectual property. Emphasizing employee education, particularly in home office settings, is crucial for maintaining security, as highlighted by Chris Niggel from Okta and Tony Soules from Amgen. The panel noted that frictionless, accessible security systems are essential for sustaining remote work's opportunities, such as talent diversification and increased employee satisfaction. The shift has accelerated technology adoption, prompting companies like Principal Financial Group to reconsider their technology rollout strategies. Business continuity and disaster recovery plans have been tested, requiring adjustments to address potential weaknesses, and companies must re-prioritize employee focus and enhance transparency of critical services. Future cloud security and privacy complexities demand understanding of evolving people threats and data privacy concerns, necessitating rapid technological adaptation to maintain business continuity and protect customer data. The panel concluded that strategic remote work and collaborative environments, supported by flexible work schedules and empathy, are here to stay, with Lakshmi Hanspal emphasizing the importance of building trust through listening and empathy.

As organizations embrace a work-from-anywhere model, Box administrators play a crucial role in optimizing the use of Box's features to maintain smooth and secure operations. Box introduces "What's New," an in-product message center designed to streamline the dissemination of updates about product changes, enhancements, and educational opportunities directly within Box, making it easier for admins to stay informed and plan for changes. This is complemented by enhancements in reporting capabilities through the migration of reports like User Statistics and Activity to Box's new Data Platform, which promises improved scalability and performance. Additionally, the new Report Status Dashboard offers a centralized location for admins to track the status and progress of reports, enhancing reporting efficiency by providing real-time insights and reducing time spent on monitoring report statuses. These developments highlight Box's commitment to promoting productivity by equipping admins with the necessary tools to adapt quickly to changes and support their organizations effectively.

At the BoxWorks Digital event, discussions centered around adapting to a work-from-anywhere model, with insights from various leaders including George Llado, CIO of Alexion Pharmaceuticals. Alexion, known for its innovative approach to combating rare diseases, has pivoted smoothly to a remote work environment, thanks to a robust tech stack that includes platforms like Box and Okta. Llado highlights how this shift has democratized participation in meetings, eliminating feelings of inequality among remote and in-office workers. Prior investments in cloud technology allowed Alexion to transition seamlessly to remote work without compromising security, despite the increased risk of breaches due to sensitive COVID-19 research. The successful adaptation to remote work has opened new possibilities for hiring talent globally, removing geographical constraints and enhancing the company's ability to attract top professionals. This change not only supports Alexion's mission of saving lives but also positions the company to compete with tech giants for talent, leveraging the meaningful impact of its work as a recruitment advantage.

Box's Accelerate program is designed to develop leadership skills among newly promoted and hired people leaders, as well as to enhance the experiences of current leaders within the company. The program spans about 10 months, offering various leadership courses, such as feedback, resilience, and emotional intelligence, delivered through virtual sessions due to COVID-19. Participants, like Caron Bracy, a Technical Recruiting Manager at Box, have found the program beneficial for learning effective management techniques, such as situational leadership, and for fostering a growth mindset. The program also emphasizes networking and collaboration among managers, providing exposure to different leadership levels within the company and enabling participants to learn from diverse challenges and experiences. Executive leaders actively contribute to the program, highlighting its importance and the company's commitment to developing strong, healthy teams.