Introduction
Since 2005, founders Aaron Levie and Dylan Smith as well as their fast-growing team have carved out Box.net as one of the most popular and trusty internet services for storing and collaborating documents from anywhere. Today, over 2,000,000 people, small businesses, and large corporations around the world use Box.Net to easily interact with the information and people that matter most. Box.net is situated in Palo Alto, California. Security Abilities
Box.Net provides 256bit encryption on data during transfer back and forth to it's serviers. Box.Net host their servers at multiple high-grade data centers with current audits, 24 hour monitoring and video surveillance, on-site security patrols, and demanding admittance controls. All power and environmental units are in an N+1 redundant plan to ensure fault tolerance. Many power feeds, UPS devices, and onsite backup generators assure constant functioning and hardy infrastructure. Data is automatically backed up to a physically separate place. This ensures that they always have multiple copies of your files.Backup Options
Box.net is not a backup solution, notwithstanding, you can reserve upto five separate versions of files if you have the Individual account or upto ten versions if you have the business account.Restore Options
Apart from the file versioning mentioned above, there is no restore functionality.Control and Analysis
This is a web-based solution with nothing to setup on the desktop, therefore CPU and bandwidth throttling will not apply. Logging and Reporting are accessible but exclusively in the Enterprise edition.
Interface
The interface is very simple to use and offers effortless uploading and sharing of files and folders via the web portal. The Business and Enterprise editions provide an Admin Portal and the ability to manage multiple accounts. Device Support
If your device can get to the net, then you can use Box.Net. Limitations
- The Lite and Individual editions cannot be used for business.
- The Lite edition has an single file size limit of 25 Megabytes while the rest of the versions have a 1 Gigabyte limit on
- There is nonetheless, no limit on the amount of data you can transfer.
- File retention for erased files is 30 days which is the industry norm.
File Sharing and Collaboration
In all editions, you can invite individuals to cooperate via email and you can import your email contacts via comma-delimited files or directly if you have an Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail Account. Uploaded files can be managed in folders or directly in your home page. Once you have a folder you can:
- Request collaborators to share the files in the folder.
- Attach to the folder
- Share the folder
- Embed the folder in a website
- Add comments and tags
- Enter a statement for the folder
- Monitor activity in this folder via email notifications
- Set the access level for the folder:
- Private, Collaboration, or Global
- If sharing globally, you can assign a Vanity name to the folder
- One additional nifty feature is the ability to set an date on the folder share.
Synchronisation
There is no file or folder synchronisation.Web 2.0 Integration
This is where Box.net shines most brightly! Box.net uses the OpenBox standard which means it is directly compatible with an ever developing group of Web 2.0 applications. Everything from iPhone apps to Online Office apps suchas Zoho and EditGrid to eFaxing via eFax to managing CRM with SalesForce and all your favourite Social Networking sites. You can even include Google Analytics to your account so you can find out how people are accessing your files.Customer Support
- Telephone support is available but not on a toll-free number and only in business hours.
- Email Support is accessable via a webform on the contact page.
- Non-interactive support is good: There is a good FAQ section; a Knowledgebase; a forum and a blog. A demo and case studies are also provided.
- A free trial is available for the Business edition.
- We found the support staff to be friendly, well informed and willing to help in any way they could.
Ease of Use
Box.Net is really easy. Once you have uploaded or created some content then you truly start to see how easy it is to use. Collaboration is a breeze and it becomes a so simple to work online with others when you have a easy to use, streamlined and clear environment to work in.Cost
- Box.Net offers 4 packages as shown below:
- Lite: no charge
- Individual - $9.99 / month
- Business - $15 / month
- Enterprise - Price on application
- Initial setup on all packages is free
- There are no options for added storage.
- There are no limits to the amount of devices that can be used with the service
Initial allowed storage space
- Lite: 1Gb
- Individual: 5Gb
- Business: 10Gb / person
- Enterprise: infinite
Conclusion
If you are looking for an online backup solution then this is NOT the product for you. If you are hunting for a really logical,effortless and simple to manage web-based collaboration tool then look no further. The functionality to implement email notifications when something changes in one of your project folders is a particularly useful touch. Box.Net is the best online collaboration tool we have reviewed so far.For a more in-depth review click here.
To compare Box.Net to other leading Online Storage Providers click here
