August 2021 Summaries

Enterprises are increasingly utilizing technologies like Box and Zoom to enhance employee collaboration, and the latest development in this partnership is the launch of the Box app for Zoom. This integration allows users to access, browse, preview, and share Box files directly within Zoom, facilitating seamless teamwork without interrupting workflows. The app is accessible through the Zoom App Marketplace and the Zoom Meeting client, and it maintains Box's enterprise-grade security and compliance standards to protect sensitive information. This interoperability between Box and Zoom is designed to streamline the user experience, reduce context switching, and enhance productivity by allowing users to present Box files during meetings with ease. Additionally, previous integrations, such as the ability to access Zoom from within Box, further simplify user interactions by enabling meeting creation and participation directly from the Box interface. The new Box app for Zoom is now generally available, offering improved efficiency for teams working across distributed environments.

Box's internship program offers university students the opportunity to engage in meaningful projects and experience the company's culture firsthand, as exemplified by Alexus Kelly, a Senior Marketing Major interning in Program Management. Kelly learned about Box through the Handshake platform and was drawn to the company by its supportive environment and the insight it provided into the tech industry. During the internship, Kelly has been involved in significant projects such as the BoxWorks event and the Box Sign launch, which have enhanced her understanding of communication, stakeholder management, and project execution. Despite initial concerns about remote work, Kelly found that regular Slack and Zoom interactions with her manager and team maintained a strong sense of connection and engagement. She advises future interns to ask questions, embrace learning opportunities, and network across different departments to maximize their internship experience.

Box emphasizes its commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture, celebrating Women's Equality Day as part of a broader dedication to gender equality and inclusion. The company highlights the significance of Women's Equality Day, which commemorates American women's suffrage, but also symbolizes the ongoing global movement towards gender equality in various aspects such as fair pay and access to resources. Box's initiatives include efforts to eliminate unconscious bias in job descriptions, promoting pay equity through regular analyses, and providing flexible work arrangements to support work-life balance. They also offer mentoring programs to aid career development and maintain Employee Resource Communities like the Box Women's Network, which empower and support women and allies within the company. Box's commitment to gender parity is further demonstrated by its external recognitions, such as being part of the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, and its efforts to ensure diverse representation within its Board of Directors. The company also collaborates with organizations like Black Girls Code to support women in tech and encourages allyship and inclusivity in all aspects of its operations.

Box is dedicated to providing products and services with robust privacy protection and compliance, especially in light of the invalidation of the Privacy Shield by the Court of Justice of the European Union. The company has implemented several measures to align with the European Data Protection Board's finalized guidance on Supplementary Measures and Guarantees, and the new set of Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) introduced by the European Commission. These new SCCs, which came into effect on June 27, 2021, aim to address the complexities of modern data processing and require businesses to ensure adequate protection for cross-border data transfers. Box is actively transitioning its agreements to incorporate the new SCCs, with deadlines set for both new and current customers, and it continues to support data transfers under its Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs). The company has issued a Due Diligence and Supplementary Measures Report to assist customers in understanding and meeting their GDPR obligations. Box remains committed to adapting to the evolving regulatory landscape to ensure compliance with data privacy requirements.

Amid the shift to remote and hybrid work models, companies are increasingly focusing on securing content across various devices without hindering workflow, leading to advancements in Intelligent Content Management. Box has announced enhancements in Box Shield, featuring improved native security controls to help organizations identify sensitive content, prevent data leaks, and manage access with granular authentication options. These updates include auto-classification of content, expanded coverage for intellectual property, and support for Microsoft Information Protection encrypted labels. The integration of Smart Access policies offers a streamlined approach to data loss prevention, addressing the complexities of implementing DLP while maintaining productivity. The new watermarking process enhances security by using a vector-based method that allows text searchability and clickable links, further mitigating data leakage risks. Additionally, Box's focus on Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) as a multi-factor authentication measure strengthens access control. A study by Forrester Consulting revealed that Box’s solutions could lead to significant savings on security and compliance costs for organizations.

Box's internship program welcomes university students globally, empowering them to take charge of their projects, ask questions, and own their outcomes. Bing Tian Chia, a Software Engineer Intern and a junior at the University of Chicago, shares his experience, highlighting the supportive and inclusive environment at Box. His journey with Box began during a school assignment on inclusive design, which led him to explore internship opportunities with the company. Assigned to the Productivity Engineering team, Bing works on developing an internal chat bot to enhance efficiency by automating responses to frequent queries. Despite the challenges of remote work, Bing appreciates the friendly and helpful culture, facilitated through regular one-on-one meetings and engaging social events, such as boba-making workshops. He emphasizes the importance of balancing work with fun and networking to make the most of the internship experience at Box.

In the Work Unleashed series, Jacob Ofilas, Director of Client Success at UC Santa Barbara, discusses the significant technological shifts undertaken by the university during the pandemic, which highlighted the essential role of technology in academia. Coming from a healthcare background, Ofilas applied his change management expertise to streamline UCSB's IT processes, overcoming the initial disarray of disconnected systems and non-uniform use of digital platforms like Box, Google Workspace, and Salesforce. The pandemic served as a catalyst for unifying previously autonomous IT departments to facilitate remote learning, a transition compared to disassembling and reassembling an airplane. As in-person classes resume, UCSB continues to support remote learning for some students, addressing ongoing challenges such as account management and cybersecurity, particularly through multi-factor authentication. Ofilas emphasizes the importance of maintaining a balance between security and user experience, ensuring a frictionless digital environment that supports the university’s educational and research objectives, with Box playing a crucial role in intelligent content management and governance.