Since 2005, co-founders Aaron Levie and Dylan Smith along with their fast-growing team have established Box.net as one of the most popular and trusted web-based services for accessing and sharing content from anywhere. Today, more than 2 million individuals, small businesses, and Fortune 1000 companies around the world use Box to easily connect with the content and people that matter most. Box.net is based in Palo Alto, California

Security

Box.Net provides 256bit encryption for files being transferred to and from it's data servers. They host their servers at two enterprise-grade data centers with ongoing audits, 24 x 7 x 365 monitoring and video surveillance, on-site security staff, mantraps, and strict access controls. All power and environmental systems are in an N+1 redundant configuration to ensure fault tolerance. Multiple power feeds, UPS devices, and onsite backup diesel generators ensure continuous operation and robust infrastructure. Data is automatically backed up to a geographically separated site. This ensures that we always have multiple copies of your data to ensure the highest level of protection.

Backup Features

Box.net is not a backup solution, however, you can keep 5 different versions of files if you have the Individual account or 10 versions if you have the business account.

Restore Features

Apart from the file versioning mentioned above, there is no restore functionality.

Control and Analysis

This is a web based solution with nothing to install on client devices, as such CPU and bandwidth throttling do not apply. Logging and reporting are available but only in the Enterprise edition.

Interface

The interface is very smooth and offers easy uploading and sharing of files and folders via the web portal. The Business and Enterprise editions offer an Admin Portal and the ability to manage multiple accounts.

Device Support

If your device can get to the web, then you can use box.net.

Limitations

The Lite and Individual editions cannot be used commercially. The Lite edition has an individual file size limit of 25mb while the rest of the editions have a 1Gb limit on individual files. There is however, no limit on how much you can upload or download. File retention for deleted files is 30 days which is the industry standard.

File Sharing and Collaboration

With all editions, you can invite people to collaborate via email and you can import your email contacts via CSV files or directly if you have an Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail (live) email address.

Uploaded files can be stored in folders or directly in your home page. Once you have a folder you can:

• Invite collaborators to share the contents of the folder
• Link to the folder
• Share the folder
• Embed the folder in a website
• Add comments and tags
• Enter a description 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 expiration date on the folder sharing.

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 growing number of Web 2.0 applications. Everything from iPhone apps to Online Office apps such as Zoho and EditGrid to eFaxing via eFax to managing CRM with SalesForce and all your favourite Social Networking sites. You can even add Google Analytics to your account so you can track how people are accessing your files.

Box.Net offers 4 packages as shown below:

Plan	Lite	Individual	Business	Enterprise
Initial setup	free	free	free	free
Cost – Monthly	free	$9.99 / mth	$15 / mth / user	?
Cost – Yearly	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Initial allowed storage amount	1Gb	5Gb	10Gb / user	unlimited
Cost of additional storage	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Cost of additional devices / PCs / users	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Referral Program
E-billing facility

Telephone support is available but not on a toll-free number and only in business hours. Email support is available 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 available. There is also a free trial available for the Business edition.

We found the support staff to be friendly, well informed and very keen to help in any way they could.

If you are looking for an online backup solution then this is NOT the product for you. If you are looking for a very intuitive,easy to use and easy to manage online collaboration tool then look no further. The ability to setup auto email notifications when something changes in one of your project folders is a particularly nice touch.

Box.Net is the best online collaboration tool we have reviewed to date.