Box Unveils Enterprise Administrator Tools

Cloud storage provider Box takes a step closer to the enterprise with a slew of admin tools for enterprise content sharing and management.

As cloud-based storage needs for the enterprise continue to grow, online storage and business application tools provider Box is unveiling a slew of content management tools and an enterprise licensing agreement for new and existing customers deploying Box to their organization.

With the Activity Notification Archiving feature, enterprise admins can now log Box activities, such as comments, tasks and sharing files, with their existing monitoring systems while maintaining business compliance and eDiscovery requirements. Multiple email domain support is designed to help businesses organize multiple employee email accounts and give admins the ability to see user activity and set security policies across the network.

"The centralized content view and enhanced search capabilities give us the ability to strengthen team collaboration and instantly locate business-critical information," Bob Cohen, vice president of information technology at Cadence Pharmaceuticals, a Box customer, said in a prepared statement. "These new features exemplify Box's commitment to providing the layer of security necessary for our employees to collaborate in a safe and manageable way, while still maintaining an efficient and productive end user experience."

Currently available as a public beta, the Advanced Admin Console and enterprisewide search capabilities allow Box Enterprise customers to access controls and visibility for folder and file access from within a single command center in the Box admin console. Additionally, access to content can be controlled by the admin, based on individual accounts, while enterprisewide search functionality allows admins to search, view and manage files and folders, and see how files are shared within and outside of the company. Security controls can also be deployed to protect business-critical content.

€œWhile we have a ton of love for Box users, admins will always hold a special place in our hearts. That€™s why we€™re always focused on building powerful tools that make it really easy for IT folks to manage and secure their Box deployment,€ Andy Kiang, Box€™s group product manager for enterprise lead wrote in a company blog post. €œ[The] new tools will make it easy for admins to access, manage and track everything that€™s important to them€”both inside and outside the company. After all, a happy admin is a good admin.€

In response to the growing bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend, Box also released mobile device security settings for Google Android devices, which gives IT admins the ability to apply passcode locks and enhanced permissions for off-line file access for a variety of Box applications. (A company release promised functionality for Apple€™s iOS mobile platform soon.)

"Enterprises are realizing transformative gains by adopting the cloud, but there is a need for technology that provides deeper visibility, control and data security," Aaron Levie, co-founder and CEO of Box said in a statement. "That's what today's news is all about: giving IT enterprisewide visibility into the critical content that powers their businesses. Box will continue to build management features that all our customers€”from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies€”require to be successful."

Box has more than 11 million users, including 120,000 businesses, the company said.