Box.net Blog

Off we go… Web Docs for 100,000 users

posted by Aaron

We’ll begin testing Web Docs for 100,000 users on Box this evening. We’ve randomly selected this group of users to have access to our new web-based document creation and sharing functionality. Once we get enough feedback from the initial usage, and kinks worked out of the system, we’ll roll the OpenBox-powered service to all Box users. Here’s a sample embedded Web Document:
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posted in Uncategorized at 05/09/2008 | 0 comments

2 New OpenBox Services for your Productivity

posted by Aaron

Ever wanted to send Box.net files directly from MS Outlook, Thunderbird, or even your GMail? There are two new OpenBox services that allow just that. Once added, you can right click any file or folder in your Box and select what client you want to send from - a new window will open up with your shared file URL… now you can send files directly from the interface of your choice. Here’s how to start:
http://www.box.net/services/outlook

http://www.box.net/services/gmail

- Aaron

posted in Uncategorized at 04/28/2008 | 1 comment

Googolopoly download count

posted by Aaron

About 30 hours later, there have been over 7,000 downloads of Box.net’s internet board game. Has anyone printed it out and played it? If so, please send us a pic! If you haven’t downloaded it yet, you can get it here: http://www.box.net/shared/dguu2bfy88

Update: Now we’ve hit 10,000!

Update #2: Now we’ve hit 15,500, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

Update #3: We now have 39,500 downloads for the board game… the main picture was viewed more than 75,000 times! and those numbers are still growing

posted in Uncategorized at 04/23/2008 | Comments Off

Play Googolopoly, the internet board game from Box.net

posted by Alex

At Box, we obviously spend a lot of time talking about what’s going on on the internet. With such a high quantity of real and rumored products and acquisitions announcements, Google obviously gets a lot of attention in our animated discussions. In the last few months, Google Health, AppEngine, Knol, Android, OpenSocial, Sites, and the rumored Skype acquisition (is that even real or just propaganda?) were some of the most talked-about topics. We often come to the conclusion that Google’s way to do business with other companies and interest in controling the information age makes the company look more and more like the software monopoly of yesteryears. Overall, it’s questionable whether such a powerful position made the world better or worse…

(click on the image to see full preview)

One day we got tired of being serious about the situation and came up with Googolopoly, a game where you can take part of ruling the internet even if you don’t work in Mountain View. The goal of the game is to use Google shares to buy as many properties as you can without landing in the deadpool and losing your stock. As with any great board game, there’s a very real metaphor to what’s going on…. What happens when the Google monster gobbles up all that is left in the web world, is present on your cell phone, desktop, and even controls your health information? For all their product excellence, the threat of amassing this much data is too serious to ignore. Anyway, at Box.net, we’ll work to continue to build superior products and keep those mountain-viewers honest.

To download the game in its entirety (including instructions, google shares, googleplex pieces, and more), visit here: http://www.box.net/shared/dguu2bfy88

Thanks to Phil, Box.net’s awesome designer, for putting this together.

posted in Uncategorized at 04/15/2008 | 50 comments

Quick Tip: Run a presentation from your Box

posted by Aaron

With Box.net’s iPaper integration, you can run powerpoint presentations directly from your Box.net account! Just right click any .PPT file in your Box, and click “Preview” - a new iPaper window will appear with your content. A nifty way to hop on any computer without MS Office and launch into a meeting.

- Aaron

posted in Uncategorized at 04/14/2008 | 0 comments

Help Test Web Documents

posted by Aaron

If you’ve been a long (long) time reader of this blog, you’ll remember our interest and excitement around what Writely was doing long before they were acquired by Google. We think the web still has significant untapped potential to be used as platform for collaboration and sharing- and Box.net is the perfect solution to help you manage the things you want to share.

As I mentioned late last week, Box.net is working on new functionality that enables you to create information directly on Box. I can’t give out too many details at this point because we’re still a ways away from releasing the product, but we want to work closely with a group of users to gain early feedback. If you’re curious about what we’re tentatively calling “Web Documents,” shoot an email to aaron@box.net and I’ll send over instructions on how to get started.
- Aaron

posted in Uncategorized at 04/03/2008 | 1 comment

Looking for interesting stories…

posted by Aaron

How do you use Box? We’re looking for cool and crazy stories on ways our customers use Box. Is your business powered by Box? What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen or shared on Box? Has Box ever saved your life at work or school?

If we choose your story to share, we’ll send you a free Box t-shirt.

Just email your most interesting experience to michele@Box.net.

posted in Uncategorized at 04/01/2008 | 0 comments

Using Box to Build Box

posted by Aaron

There’s an old saying in the software Biz… “eat your own dog food.” It should come as no surprise that it’s a good idea to use your own product: It’s simply the best and only way to ensure that you’re building something that other people want to use. If you wouldn’t use it, why would someone else? At Box, we’re lucky enough to not only use our own product, but to use our product to build our product.

Over the past 6-8 months our team has grown to a point where we’re beginning to truly see the pain points that larger teams and organizations run into. We’re now at 21 people, and hiring for a role or two every month, which means there are lots of individuals that need access to information. When starting out, we knew Box was a great tool for personal productivity and managing your information online, but we didn’t quite grasp the consequences it could have for people working together. By solving our own productivity and collaboration problems, we’ve been able to design Box in a way that we would ideally want to see software work. It’s been a very enlightening experience, and it’ll be an evolving process to make sure all of our needs are met by our own solution.

Along the way, we’ve run into the issue more and more of how to create and manage content online in a way that works seamlessly regardless of browser or operating system. Whether it’s for managing a project, creating marketing material, or just keeping track of personal tasks, there’s an immense amount of data that needs to be shared and organized. We’ve started to build functionality internally to help with this process, making it extremely easy to create this content online… for now, we’re calling this feature “Web Documents,” and it ties directly into our effort for simple online collaboration. More will be discussed and showcased in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, if you’d like to learn more about how to be a tester, email me at aaron@Box.net.

posted in Uncategorized at 03/28/2008 | 0 comments

More Box on the Blackberry

posted by Aaron

Box.net has partnered with Cortado to provide access to Box.net in Cortado Connect. This means you can now access your Box directly from your blackberry, offering additional functionality over beyond our standard mobile site (m.box.net). To download the new application, you can visit http://www.cortado.com/connect

You can also read more about the application and partnership at InformationWeek.

posted in Uncategorized at 03/20/2008 | 0 comments

Forecast: Very Cloudy

posted by Aaron

In the past few weeks several services have made varying announcements around their cloud storage and sharing services. While I could go through the advantages or disadvantages of any particular service, I’ll opt instead to focus on a high level evaluation of what I see going on– where we’ve come from, and where we’re going.

Hello new, goodbye old

“Online storage” might finally be on its third-generation of services: First there was Xdrive and Driveway, which really introduced the promise of data-in-the-cloud well before there was today’s level of demand. After the dot com bust tamed the market (so to speak), only a few relics were left. A few years later Box.net emerged. We were founded at a time when there weren’t any really easy-to-use, friendly, cost-effective services that let you put your information online or share with others. And then, a few months and dozens of social networks later, online storage and sharing– Web 2.0 style– was suddenly in full swing. We had Omnidrive, Dropsend, TubesNow, Pando and others enter the fray. Since this point, most have either changed their model, fled the country, or folded completely. This leads us to the third round of services– with some of the bigger players getting in the game. We here at Box are prepared to win this one; we had more signups yesterday than ever before.

Desktop vs. the Browser

It should be no surprise that we’re big advocates of the ‘web-is-the-platform’ philosophy. It’s the future. We’ve built a connected file system that can be leveraged by any web-based service as a means of storing and sharing information. Box.net users have full access to nearly 20 online services wherein files can be modified, previewed, or transmitted without leaving a browser. Browser-based services are incredibly important, as they let developers and users alike expect parity in their experience regardless of their operating system, software, system components, etc. Online applications can also be leveraged easily by other web services and mobile devices, unlike traditional desktop apps.

And Finally

Collaboration in a storage solution is critically important today. Being able to share, be shared with, and manipulate information collaboratively– in real time– is and will be the expectation for all online services going forward. At Box we understand this, and we are building our platform in a way that enables us to meet the needs of all types of users in present and the future.

If you’re not already there, you’ll soon have all of your relevant content and information online, and likely ONLY online. You’ll create, manage, and share everything directly from the web (which curiously makes online backup a redundant idea). Box.net is at the center of this wave and will continue to drive innovation in the field as we work to make this vision a reality. Expect some especially interesting functionality and improvements from us in the coming weeks and months!

posted in Uncategorized at 03/12/2008 | 1 comment

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