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Tag: box

  • Box and IBM Join Hands to Boost Analytics and Cloud Storage  

    Box and IBM Join Hands to Boost Analytics and Cloud Storage  

    Box-IBM

    Box and IBM have combined their cloud products as a way of boosting their appeal and scope. The partnership will bring together IBM security technologies and tools with Box’s cloud storage services, enabling the two companies to have a global reach offered by the IBM cloud.

    Aaron Levie, Box’s CEO said in a blog post that the partnership will help them target more public sector and enterprise customers, which he insists they cannot do alone. He further said: “We’re taking the best of Box’s technology and combining it with IBM’s impressive portfolio of leading security, analytics, content management and social capabilities to jointly create all-new offerings and outcomes for customers.”

    In this new partnership Box will have at their disposal IBM security technologies and enterprise-grade content management tools. The agreement also allows Box users to store data on the IBM Cloud.

    Meanwhile, IBM will be able to increase their Watson Analytics service scope by analyzing data and content stored in the Box platform.

    Both companies will provide consultancy to enterprises looking at using Box with their existing data and systems. They will also work together to create content management apps and integrate Box features into IBM’s MobileFirst for iOS apps.

    This is of course not the first time we are seeing Box entering into such partnerships as they already have a working relationship with Microsoft, a major IBM competitor in the cloud business.

  • Box partners with Microsoft to bring You Office Online document Creation and Editing

    Box partners with Microsoft to bring You Office Online document Creation and Editing

    Box for Office Online2

    Good news to Box users, as they can now create and edit Microsoft Office documents using Office Online without having to leave the cloud storage service. This new merger is part of the plan to expand Microsoft Cloud Storage Partner Program.

    According to Box’s David Still, there are already more than a billion Excel, Word, and PowerPoint files in Box and users can now use the recently announced service to create and even edit Office files all inside Box. Any changes you make to an Office Online document/file will automatically be saved on the cloud, so you do not have to worry about having to re-upload the files again to Box.

    In the press release, Box’s CEO Aaron Levie says that the new model for enterprise productivity depends on creating seamless, device agnostic connections between the core applications that people use to get work done. With over a billion users, Levie admits that the merger with Office is a crucial move in their growth and also in the transformation of the way people work and do business.

    The new announcement combines Box’s robust storage and sharing features with Office’s productivity.

    This new feature is already available to Box business users with an Office 365 license and all Box users with a personal account.

     

  • Vodafone and Dropbox Team up on Cloud Storage

    Vodafone and Dropbox Team up on Cloud Storage

    vodafone-dropbox

    Vodafone and Dropbox are partnering to provide the telco’s Android and iPhone users with free cloud storage for a year.

    Starting this month, new Vodafone users will have 25 GB of cloud storage space on Dropbox. This service will be available to Vodafone’s Android and iPhone users. A majority of Vodafone’s Android phones will come preloaded with the Dropbbox app.

    What’s the implication? Well, Vodafone users can now count on extra space that can also make switching over to a new phone a much easier process as all you have to do is save all your videos, photos, and all your files on your old phone to Dropbox and then just sign in to your Dropbox app in your new phone and all your files will be there waiting for you.

    Vodafone also said that it will use Dropbox as its platform for its Backup+ service that allows Vodafone users to backup messages, multimedia content, and contacts on the cloud. The Backup+ service will start rolling out by the end of March, 2015 and will be ready for use over the coming months.

    The partnership between Dropbox and Vodafone is not entirely a new concept as just last year around October 02 entered a partnership with Box to resell the cloud storage service to SMEs.

     

  • Cloud Storage Services Linked With Apps by Cloud Elements Hub

    A one-to-many document hub integration platform has been created by Cloud Elements that will offer a single API for developers to link cloud applications with the leading cloud storage and document services such as SkyDrive, Dropbox, Microsoft SharePoint, and Box.

    The company has also indicated that the new document hub will have support for Rackspace Files and Amazon S3 by early 2014.

    Cloud elements is extremely talented in creating ‘elements’ that are extensions of API’s whose main work is to speed up the integration of various cloud services. The company serves both SaaS developers as well as corporate IT teams that aim at integrating their applications with a variety of cloud services.

    In the past, such integration required the use of custom written integrations that always had to be updated.

    The CEO of SlideFish, Neil Smith indicated that the new elements from the company have taken a lot of pain from them. He indicated that the company will no longer have to worry about changes on the API from different cloud storage providers. This will enable such SaaS companies to integrate their services in a large scale at a faster and more reliable way than before.

  • Cloud Storage Supports Genealogists

    The benefits of Cloud Storage have been brought to bear in many different industries, from finance to real estate and certainly personal computing. But genealogists have been taking advantage of the off-site storage with more and more frequency, due to the safety and security it offers.

    Genealogists spend years researching their findings, and the specter of losing all of that effort can be terrifying. Cloud Storage completely removes those fears. If a genealogist experiences a malfunctioning hard drive, it could cost them dearly. With all of their data stored in the cloud, no type of physical storage issue, no matter how extreme, can cause the irrevocable loss of work.

    Another useful benefit of Cloud Storage is the fact that data can be accessed from several different devices, in a variety of locations. That means a genealogist can access the same file and continue his work, whether on a personal computer, an office workstation, or a mobile device in transit between the two.

    File-sharing is also made much easier thanks to Cloud Storage technology. Many genealogists must share their findings regularly with associates, and also want to deliver summations to clients and family. Many Cloud Storage services come with file-sharing built in. If both parties have a Dropbox, SkyDrive or Box account, they can access and download files from any of their devices, making the sharing of even the most complicated or lengthy genealogy report an instant endeavor.

    Cloud Storage probably won’t completely take the place of physical storage, at least not until several more years of consistent, worry-free service are accrued. But at some point, the physical hard drive might end up a relic of the past, much like the names genealogists pour over during their studies.

  • Box Raises $125 Million in Additional Capital

    There are many quality cloud storage companies out there, but Box has managed to distinguish itself by leaving private consumers alone and instead zeroing in on the business community. That small difference has led to a large amount of funding, but Box isn’t resting on its laurels. In order to take their business where they want it to go, Box is still looking for cash, and has been very successful in their search. Box recently announced a $125 million additional funding raise, bringing the total company valuation up to $1.33 billion.

    Several companies were involved in this latest fundraise, including Social+Capital Partnership, but it was General Atlantic that led the way. According to available data, this latest round of capital means Box has just about doubled in value, all during the last nine months. Back in the fall of 2011, Box was valued at $650 million.

    PrivCo, the research firm that released Box’s financial data, praised this latest move. Their CEO, Sam Hamadeh declared it proves that companies that have a strong model for revenue are still able to raise private capital at this scale, even during our economic recession.

    The Box board of directors will shift a bit now. Gary Reiner, one of General Atlantic’s investment partners and the former CIO of GE will join the board. And with their coffers full, Box will focus on building for the future. That means new technology, expansion into more regions of the world, and the capability to manage even larger corporate partners.

    According to Box CEO and co-founder Aaron Levie, the company is at the forefront of a software revolution. He envisions a time when every company in the world has balanced access to mobile technology, social media and cloud computing in order to keep pace with the direction of business.

  • Best Cloud Services for Syncing and File Sharing Services

    Cloud storage is swiftly transforming the way we share data, but it can also be incredibly confusing. There are so many options out there, both large and small, so how do you choose the best company for your needs? If your goal is to share files with associates and have the ability to sync that storage across your myriad of devices, here are some of the best in the business.

    Box is one great option, and users can sign up and start working completely for free. If you’re looking for added security and collaboration features, you’ll have to pony up for a Business account. But since those advanced accounts start at only $15 a month, even the smallest of businesses can get involved.

    If you’re not interested in those added features, you can stick with a free account that will give you 5GB of storage. Step up to 25GB for a $10 monthly charge, or pay $20 for 50GB. You’ll be able to share files and sync across all of your devices.

    For a service that’s simple and elegant, check out Dropbox. Once you’re signed up you’ll install a virtual folder right on your desktop, and you’ll move files in and out just as you would with a traditional folder. It will automatically sync everything, making it incredibly easy to use.

    A free account will only offer you 2GB of storage space, but a $10 monthly charge will get you a full 100GB. Dropbox even offers 500MB bonuses for each friend that signs up through your recommendation. It keeps past versions of every file, so you won’t ever lose anything, and the only drawback is that you won’t be able to upload to Dropbox from your email servicee.

    MediaFire has been around for quite some time, and they offer a great deal through their free service. Sign up, and you will receive unlimited downloads and storage space. However, the free account will only hold on to your data for thirty days. If you want to extend that, they have very reasonable Pro and Business accounts, which are both less than $50 a month. 

    Finally, check out a unique option, called SugarSync. It works much like Dropbox, but adds a ton of versatility. You can sync any folder on your computer, not just their dedicated virtual folder, and it has a great file manager. Their free service will give you 5GB, which you can raise as high as $250GB for only $25 a month. If you’re looking for a good mix of value and features, SugarSync is probably the winner.