Thursday, January 20th, 2011

Introducing an All New Box: Simplicity Remade

By , Social Media Manager

I’ll confess that I actually look forward to coming to work at Box every day. This company puts a tremendous amount of energy behind keeping the product fresh and innovative, and we’re all invigorated by the constantly changing (and often challenging) needs, habits and expectations of our users.

One of the things we’re most passionate about is maintaining Box’s simplicity even as we continue to add new content sharing and collaboration features. So we decided to rebuild our interface from the ground up, and today we’re excited to announce an all new version of Box. The new Box is the culmination of six months of development and design, and in addition to improving your Box experience now, it will allow us to bring new features to you faster than ever before.

So what’s new in this version?

Designed around content: Integrated content viewing is one of our most important features, and the new Box provides a significantly richer content experience with 30% more screen real estate devoted to viewing files. The new design also helps you find related content faster, displaying a list of relevent files next to the document you’re previewing.
Folder-based discussions: Our file commenting feature is the most popular communication tool on Box, and the new Discussions tab enhances that communication by allowing you to engage in conversations in the context of a project folder instead of just individual files.
Real-time updates: Our powerful content updates feed now appears in real-time. No matter what part of Box you’re on, a discrete message appears on the bottom-right corner of the page to tell you when your colleagues uploads/downloads, comments on, edits, or deletes a document. The updates are ranked and collated to surface the most important information to you, when you need it.
Frequently-used controls: We’ve reorganized the most popular controls for quicker, easier access. Folder and File options now appear in a consistent location. Top navigation was simplified so less-used options are placed in the new My Account menu. Information and options in the sidebar are organized into accordian-style UI and automatically opened to display the ones you need, depending on where you are in the folder hierarchy.
Simplified admin console: We also updated the layout of Box’s various Enterprise pages to improve readibility and organization. Custom branding is also simplified so that there are fewer options to configure.
Scalable UI framework: The new Box is redesigned inside out so we can roll out new features easily and more quickly, bringing you the latest innovations to you as they happen. We reduced the amount of UI code by a factor of 100! The new tab and accordian design that easily expands and collapses options allow us to add richer tools without compromising the clean and open interface our users love.

And we’re not done! Over the coming months we’ll be introducing more updates that take advantage of the new UI framework to make your experience on Box even more awesome. And we really want to know what you think every step of the way. If you have any feedback on this new Box, drop us a line, or post your thoughts on the Box Community.

So how do you get the new Box? Starting tomorrow, we will gradually roll out this new version as a Beta to our users. Users will have a period over 30-45 days to try out the new service, send us feedback, be sure the new version is working for them, and then we will make this the primary version of Box. To try out the new Box:

Look for a “Preview the new Box” link when you log in.
Once in the new Box, you have the option to switch back to the current version by going to ‘My Account’ > ‘Switch back to old version’.
We will keep both the current and the new version running until end of February to allow our users time to adjust and provide feedback.

Post by David Lee, Director of Product Management

By ,

Social Media Manager

See all of Mark's articles.

Showing 74 comments

Morgan January 21st, 2011

The best file sharing site on the internet has just gotten better. Impossible? I can’t wait to see it.

Darrin January 21st, 2011

I’m super excited about this release. Can’t wait to start using it

Fabrice Talbot January 21st, 2011

Congratulations! The new application header looks great. Can’t wait to start using it :-)

Ariel Segall January 22nd, 2011

Box became a standard in my company on how files should be stored and shared.

Centric collaboration around the document has been the most important attribute, however I have to confess that as intuitive as it is, we need to explain over and over the concept each time we invite a new external collaborator to participate. I hope Box could include some basic concept videos on how to use comments each time a new collaborator joins the folder.

Congratulations and Thank You for all these great improvements.

And yes ……. I would like to be among the first group to experiment your new interface

William from Lagos January 22nd, 2011

I look forward to leveraging these new features of the all new box.net to meet my online sharing and collaboration needs

rockpand January 22nd, 2011

it is so nice! i can not wait

bcdalai January 22nd, 2011

Please add the total times a file is downloaded (download counter) on a shared file download page.

@bcdalai2020

Joel January 22nd, 2011

“Box Sync” for everyone would be great as well… can you make that possible?

Dmitriy January 22nd, 2011

I love Box. I trust Box.
Awesome and very, very useful service.
I have an incredibly peaceful feeling, every time remembering that my sensitive files stored safely here.

Thank you for the great work!

Joshua Keen January 23rd, 2011

Please include me in the BETA for the new box. I just upgraded to a 3 user seat with 500gb of storage and I want to start training my small team (as we transition from Sugar Sync storage) and would love to do our review on the new system.

Adam Pettit January 23rd, 2011

This update is encouraging. What is the status of Mac sync? We have been waiting for months…

Jheney L Puia January 24th, 2011

Wow !!!! it is great, can’t think of it.

Utku January 24th, 2011

Good news, thank you.

Can you add a “copy” button for download links? Click the button to copy the link rather than >>>

>>> 1st – Click on the link (to select it)
>>> 2nd – Right click
>>> 3rd – Click “Copy” option

A “Copy” button would make more simple. Simplicity, you know. :)

Arie January 25th, 2011

Thank you. I’m very glad……… with Boxnet.

D K Arora January 25th, 2011

Box.net is simply superb!!
Enables me to share useful information with my students without any boundaries!!!
No restrictions re domains at all!!
Thanks Box.net!!

Enrique Rodríguez January 25th, 2011

Box.net me ayuda mucho para trabajar con mi estudiantes y mi grupo de investigación en educación. GRacias.

J. Acosta January 26th, 2011

best way to keep your documents in a safe location, and can be used anywhere! box.net!

Stark January 26th, 2011

LOVE box.net, makes things so much easier!

Leonard Kim January 26th, 2011

Will it have the cascading style of folder-subfolder-subsubfolder menu UI so we can expand the menu to preview what files are located where without having to go into each folder to see the subfolders/files?

Mark Saldana January 26th, 2011

Enrique, de nada! Gracias por el comentario. :)

Mark

Jason January 26th, 2011

I really dig Box.net, but I’m a Mac user and am ready to have Mac sync. Any progress on this front?

Nick Pulido January 27th, 2011

@Adam Pettit
I second the disappointment in the lack of Mac Sync, it’s been promised for so long.

anali January 27th, 2011

Anywhere anytime with any gadget on hand can easily access my files away from home. Have yet to try again my spreadsheet files.

Mario Zelaya January 27th, 2011

Why are you guys so awesome?
I love it!

-Mario

Ps. Naturalista January 27th, 2011

Box.net es estupendo para el trabajo académico. Muchas gracias.

Josh January 27th, 2011

when will it be out.

owen January 27th, 2011

This is why I love Boxie. Well done guys and gals. But I will still cuss anybody that sends me word documents!

David Caron January 27th, 2011

I’m very excited about these new features! I can’t wait to utilize them everyday.

Martin Fuggle January 27th, 2011

The missing piece is the Mac Desktop Sync. It’s been a long time coming and is required to make the product more useful on the Mac…

Scott January 27th, 2011

Box. One syllable instead of three! Beat that two syllable competitor.

Robert Peruzzi January 27th, 2011

Please include an option to disable discussions within a shared folder.
I manage several LinkedIn groups where members make extensive use of the discussions feature. I needed to share an amount of text which exceeded LinkedIn’s limit. Mousing through their menus, help, and finally a users forum pointed me to Box.net. I opened an account, opened a folder, placed the text there. Back in LinkedIn I invited the group.
Unfortunately, some members continued the discussion within LinkedIn and others on Box.net. Some aggravation resulted. Stating a policy “Please confine your comments to within the LinkedIn evironment” on the Box.net page is the best solution I could come up with, but people being human, it didn’t work. More aggravation.
So for the new release, please include the option to disable discussions within a shared folder. (But allow in others, if possible.)
Thanks!

Cynthia Le Monds January 27th, 2011

I love using box.net. It has allowed us to keep our files and manage things so much more efficiently. And it’s cost effective.

I really wish there were a sync application for subfolders instead of just root folders.
Also, it would be great to add other features such as a message board on the box sign in page or at the top of the box page and/or a dash board feature to share quick updates and news to the users of the box account.

thanks!

han January 28th, 2011

Is it possible, when you will have the paid version from Box.net, that one can pay with PayPal. Not everyone have a credit card

gr Han

Luis Alberto Guerrero January 28th, 2011

BRAVO! Box is the champion!

Mark Saldana January 28th, 2011

Hey Han,

Unfortunately, we don’t accept PayPal anymore for Box accounts. Sorry about that! :(

Mark
Community Manager

Mark Saldana January 28th, 2011

Great ideas Cynthia!

Feel free to submit them to our forum here: http://community.box.net/boxnet
Our product team monitors the forum quite closely for new ideas.

Glad you enjoy Box!

Mark
Community Manager

Mark Saldana January 28th, 2011

Hey Robert,

Feel free to submit that idea directly to our community forum: http://community.box.net/boxnet
Our product team will look at it and let you know if it’s something they can implement.

Thank you for the feedback!

Mark
Community Manager

Mark Saldana January 28th, 2011

We agree :)

Mark

Mark Saldana January 28th, 2011

Hi Martin,

See our community forum for an in-depth answer on the status of Mac Sync :http://community.box.net/boxnet/topics/when_is_mac_sync_coming_out

Short Answer: It’s coming soon. We’re sorry it’s taken so long – we want to make sure it’s awesome when our users get their hands on it.

Mark
Community Manager

Mark Saldana January 28th, 2011

Hi Josh,

We’ll be rolling out #NewBox to all of our users over the next 30 days. If you see the activation link in your account, click it! Let us know if you have any other questions.

Mark
Community Manager

Mark Saldana January 28th, 2011

Hi Leonard,

I don’t believe that feature is built in, but it sounds like a great idea. Feel free to submit it to our ideas forum here: http://community.box.net/boxnet
Our developer team will take a look at it.

Mark

Community Manager

Mark Saldana January 28th, 2011

Thanks for the compliment!

Mark
Community Manager

Mark Saldana January 28th, 2011

Sounds like a great idea – mind submitting it to our idea forum?

http://community.box.net/boxnet

Thanks,

Mark
Community Manager, Box.net

Mark Saldana January 28th, 2011

Hi Joshua,

Check your email for a surprise. ;)

Mark
Community Manager

Mark Saldana January 28th, 2011

We’re working on it! The plan is to roll it out to all accounts in the future, so sit tight. We promise not to take too long. ;)

Mark
Community Manager

Mark Saldana January 28th, 2011

Hey Adam,

Check out my response to Martin for all of the details on Mac Sync. Thanks for being patient, and sorry for taking so long!

Mark
Community Manager

Mark Saldana January 28th, 2011

Hi Nick,

Take a look at my response to Martin for all of the details on the status of Mac Sync. Thanks for being patient and hanging in there!

Mark
Community Manager

Trish January 29th, 2011

Looking forward to trying out #NewBox. Very happy with Box.net and looking forward to utilizing its many storage and sharing features. Thanks.

Jennifer January 29th, 2011

Clicked on the Preview link and really enjoyed the new UI and UX. Then I logged out. When I logged back in the following day, my account reverted to the previous version and there’s no Preview link available now. How do I get back to the new Box? Thanks!

johnson opigo January 29th, 2011

I just can’t wait! What is taking you guys so long? :) Seriously, you guys are the best out there. You are going to blow the competition out of the water. We are waiting…

Fradique Santos January 30th, 2011

Estou a gostar da vossa plataforma para trabalho da minha loja Online

Cumprimentos

Fradique santos

bcdalai January 31st, 2011

Please add a download counter in the shared file page. So that a user can see that the no. of times a a file is downloaded.

DiGi-PASSION January 31st, 2011

What I like about the new box is “Nearly” real time update notifications. I must say, it cant get simpler to upload and download something at net. Thanks very much for this great service.

Insan January 31st, 2011

Actually i just found Box two days ago. And i really impress with this performance and ‘simplicity’.. yup that was the keywords.. One things for sure, thanks a lot for keeping it free, coz it means a lot for us in 3rd world country (hehehe)

Ibbi January 31st, 2011

Hi,

Great with the new update, just such a shame that it still isn’t possible to upload files in the order you want them to appear in :( This is the key for the business I’m in (music placement).

Cheers,
Ibbi

Len January 31st, 2011

All the improvements are welcome and, quite frankly, brilliant. I’ve used a couple of document/cloud solutions and this is still the best. It’s all very well finding one with more storage, or more features but it has GOT to be easy to use so it can be easily accessible by all members of the team – not just those that are technically “that way inclined” – keep up the excellent work.

Just one thing though, could you dedicate some development effort on the mobile side of the service?

An alignment of the iPhone/Android and Blackberry apps (I don’t even think there is a Blackberry app!) would be good. If you’ve got a large team of people, all using different mobile hardware/OS and some can do something’s that others can’t is causing pain.

It would be good if Box.net could “collaborate” with other software houses, like those providing the Office apps to provide better integration – currently Google Docs appears to have this area “sewn up”.

Yasser Khan February 1st, 2011

Well this is awesome!

I’m a brand new box.net user, having registered not more than 3 days ago, and I’m impressed by the cool features box.net provides. These new upcoming features have totally blown me away!

Awesomeness, in a box!

Yasser

Christine McLeod February 2nd, 2011

will this new BOX be the paid version or free version (or both?

Mark Saldana February 2nd, 2011

Christine, this update is for all of our users, both free and paid.

Mark

Mark Saldana February 2nd, 2011

Hey Jennifer,

Go ahead and shoot me an email at mark[at]box.net and I’ll help you out with that. :)

Mark

Arby February 3rd, 2011

Hello! I’m sure the nex Box is cool. I would only know by using it however. In fact, I have hardly used the old Box. (I’m using the free service, which I appreciate having.) But I’ve always liked it and appreciate that the service is something worth having, should I find myself in need of it and able to avail myself of it.

I’m not clear on whether I should sign up again for the new Box. Am I supposed to? Thanks.

Arby February 3rd, 2011

Umm, I see the link now. It says something like ‘switch to new box’. Sorry. For newbies here, There’s even a link on the new box that says something like ‘switch back to old box’. It can’t be simpler. And, obviously, my question has been answered.

Box is good.

Ganda February 4th, 2011

Hi eine toooooooole arbeit

Mark Saldana February 4th, 2011

Hey Arby,

No need to “sign up” for the new versin of Box. Everyone will be switched over soon.

Thanks,

Mark
-Community Manager

Jorge Iván Ballesteros Toro February 4th, 2011

Box es una herramienta buenísima. Facilita la comunicación con los colaboradores permitiendo un flujo e interacción con los archivos alojados. Empleo box como plataforma con mis estudiantes Universitarios y ha permito una comunicación eficiente y efectiva.

Gracias;

Jorge Iván

stephanie February 6th, 2011

One of the things I use the Box for is to keep in contact with a school in a remote village in Kenya. Every so often they upload photos (yep, they have cameras and a computer *and* the internet). But they use the box to upload these photos. I know we can use other sites to share photos, see slideshows, but in the future it might be cool for the Box to figure out how we can see all those uploaded files without having to separately open each and every pic to see it. :)

Alistair February 8th, 2011

It would be nice to be able to designate a download folder other than the default set in your browser.

And it would be nice to be able to download just those files that are not already present in your designated folder.

Basically, I miss some of the features you get using FTP and a good FTP client.

Other than that, it has some very cool features.

Tom Martin February 16th, 2011

The one thing missing that would be helpful to me, is an option where I would know who downloads a file. My need for that is the only reason I would live this service.

Caroline February 17th, 2011

I agree with Ibbi, I would also like the option to have the files in the order I decide. I would also like to see an easier way for changing the file names, some kind of short cut (like “share”, “comment” are now). Preferably you would also be able to skip directly to the next one if you’d like to change any further files by clicking Next (as it is in iTunes for example). I basically need to change all the music file names I upload (so they don’t look like “01 Love.mp3″…) but I’m sure there are other businesses where you would also like to change the file name on the files you upload from your own computer into a network.

Btw, I just switched from PC to Mac and I was surprised how much harder it was to upload files on a Mac! Are you working on a drag and drop feature for Mac too? I’m really looking forward to that…

Mark Saldana February 22nd, 2011

Hi Tom,

Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing who downloads a file from your account unless you invite them to a folder as a collaborator. If you make a file public with a shared link, there’s no way for us to determine the identity of someone who downloads it.

-Mark
Community Manager

Mark Saldana February 22nd, 2011

Hi Caroline,

Drag and drop should work if you’re using an HTML5-enabled browser (like Chrome). Thanks for your other suggestions, we’ll definitely think about them as we implement more features on Box. Feel free to visit our forum at community.box.net to submit these (and any other) ideas – our product managers visit it all the time to see what our users want. :)

-Mark
Community Manager

Ismail March 16th, 2011

Hi,

I like the new look of Box.net, it is a huge step forwards. But I would like to see that Box.net supports more video file types on the preview. Another demand is the possibility of payments via Paypal.

Regards,
Ismail

Richard March 30th, 2011

I have logged in but can only see my folders, I can’t see anything that allows me to update/edit my content?
Just my folders, and a logout option?
Rich

Out with the Old, in with the #NewBox « The Box Blog – Read about new features, interviews and more April 26th, 2011

[...] with the Old, in with the #NewBox Back in January, we introduced you to the entirely new version of Box – a complete redesign that would make it easier than ever [...]