Box, Inc., a leader in cloud content management, today announced Box Drive,
a new desktop application that delivers secure access to all files
stored in Box with the familiar feel of traditional network shared
drives. With Box Drive,
people benefit from all of the advanced capabilities of Box - including
creating, editing, finding and sharing files - without ever leaving the
comfort of their desktop. Available for Windows, MacOS and Virtual
Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), Box Drive is the easiest way for
businesses and teams to instantly collaborate on content and kick start
productivity.
"Box
Drive combines infinite access to the cloud with an intuitive, natively
integrated desktop experience that is familiar to hundreds of millions
of people today in enterprises all over the world," said Aaron Levie,
cofounder and CEO, Box. "Not only will Box Drive make collaborating on
content easier than ever before, it also signals the beginning of the
end for expensive network file shares. With Box Drive, enterprises can
accelerate their move to the cloud, enhance security, and significantly
reduce IT costs."
Improved Productivity and Collaboration
The
future of work is working in the cloud; Box Drive makes moving to the
cloud incredibly easy. Users are freed from the constraints of their
local hard drives because they have instant access to all their files in
the cloud and real-time collaboration is even more simple and
intuitive.
Box
Drive uses a familiar file finder interface that is natively integrated
into Windows Explorer and Mac Finder so users simply click to open
their Box Drive folder and gain instant access to all of their Box
content. Working in Box Drive, when a user creates a new document, edits
a PDF, or uploads a new video, for example, all changes are
automatically saved back to Box and are instantly visible to team
members, making everyone more productive and collaborative.
"Box
Drive makes the switch to the cloud seamless and painless for
businesses still fixated on traditional file shares," said Dan
Dorato-Hankins of Vector Media. "With Box Drive, our users have
increased Box usage over 50% and have infinitely increased team
collaboration in our offices nationwide. Accessing company data is
easier than ever, but with the security of a bank vault."
Replace Legacy Network File Shares and Simplify Administration
Working
with files in Box Drive is similar to working with files in a network
drive, making it easy for users to learn and adopt, while providing
powerful features like external collaboration, search and version
control. Because Box Drive makes it easier to adopt the cloud without
changing the way people work, enterprises can join the 78% of Box
customers who have already begun to retire expensive legacy
infrastructure like network file shares that can require millions of
dollars annually in hardware, software and maintenance costs. Box
projects that customers across the real estate, healthcare and financial
services industries have the potential to realize cost savings of $1.3M
to as high as $6 million or more, over three years when retiring legacy
infrastructure with Box.
Enterprise-Grade Security and Superior Protection for Businesses of Every Size
The
benefits of moving to the cloud extend beyond enhanced productivity and
cost savings to enterprise-grade security and compliance as well as
reduced risk of data loss. By making it easier for people to adopt and
work on important business information in the cloud, Box Drive reduces
the risk of locally stored files being compromised when devices are lost
or stolen. Furthermore, Box Drive users can benefit from all of Box's
deep enterprise-grade security, international regulation guidelines, and
data compliance capabilities, including HIPAA, FINRA, FedRAMP
compliance, Binding Corporate Rules, and Box Governance.
"Successful
cloud-storage deployments help organizations reduce infrastructure
costs and enhance security and compliance around content, while at the
same time providing employees the right content at the right time," said
Alan Lepofsky of Constellation Research. "One of the latest trends in
this space is on-demand streaming of files from the cloud to end-users
only when the content is needed. This reduces the need to constantly
synchronize files to local hard drives."
Box
IT admins can also augment their security policies with Device Trust to
ensure that only secure devices, such as those that are corporate
managed or encrypted, can access Box.
Pricing and Availability
Box Drive is available today in public beta, and is free for all Box users. For more information on Box Drive, visit www.box.com/drive