Box Unpacks New Windows Phone App

Box knows where the markets are, and it also knows which partners with which to partner. The cloud-based storage and work collaboration service on July 24 announced its latest partnership deals–a second one with Microsoft and new one with Qualcomm.

Box unveiled a new Box for Windows Phone app, which enables users to collaborate and share content from any location. The Los Altos, Calif.-based company also is working closely with Qualcomm to provide preloaded Box mobile apps on qualified Snapdragon-based smartphones.

Box CEO Aaron Levie told The Station that it makes sense for his company to partner with as many companies as possible. It’s hard to argue that point; basically, every IT company of any significance has a mobile strategy, whether it’s in content delivery, devices, cloud management, service provisioning or any number of other sectors.
“Box has always provided a platform-agnostic service; it doesn’t matter what device or OS you use,” Levie said. “We’re investing in iOS, Android and Windows Phone, as well as aligning with Qualcomm. Why shouldn’t we?”

True enough. Everybody can use cloud storage and other collaboration tools. Immaterial what sort of phone, operating system or data service provider you use.

Box for Windows Phone enables users to:

• batch upload multiple images and videos;
• share files and folders as links;
• invite colleagues to shared folders and leave comments on files;
• find content with integrated search;
• pin Live Tiles to your start screen to see updates on files by colleagues; and
• protect content with an application passcode lock

Last March, Box launched Box OneCloud, a suite of about 30 free business applications that enable enterprise employees to access, edit and share content from their iPhones, iPads and Android devices.

The applications include QuickOffice, a full-featured Microsoft Office spinoff for mobile devices; PDF Expert, which enables users to read and annotate portable document files; PaperPort Notes, a new digital note-taker; EasySign, an electronic document-signing tool; and Nozbe, a project and time-management application.

Box gives all those who sign up in a personal account 5GB of online space free, a standard inducement in this sector. Business users (three or more users per account, free trials available) pay $15 per month for up to 500GB; enterprise users can get unlimited capacity, but they need to talk to Box about pricing.