Data Backup Digest

At the end of last year, cloud storage provider Box received $100 million through investments and commercial agreements. Some of the money comes from network operators like Telstra and Telefónica.

Telstra have announced that they will begin to offer file sharing and collaboration solutions to its customers soon. The company have found maintaining control of file access and user privileges was a bit difficult for customers, but Box provides them with the tools and facilities to rectify this.

“Customers are harnessing the power of cloud, social and mobility in their desire to increasingly collaborate not only within their own business, but also with vendors, business partners, investors and other 3rd party providers. In the past, the challenge was maintaining control of file access and user privileges through the collaboration process,” said Mark Sherman, Telstra’s Ventures group Managing Director.

“With Box, we will have the tools to overcome those issues. Additionally, using Box on Telstra's mobile network means customers can enjoy a faster and more reliable experience when accessing and collaborating with files on smart phones and tablets,” he continued.

This isn’t the first time that Box has teamed up with network operators. The firm already work with EE (a combination of T-Mobile and Orange) in the UK and with Deutsche Telecom in Germany.

“These communications companies serve millions of individuals and businesses that are embracing the cloud and mobile, and we're eager to provide the platform where businesses in these regions manage information and collaboration,” said Box CEO Aaron Levie.

This latest investment will help Box to continue their global expansion. The company currently have more than 20 million personal users and more than 180,000 enterprises. Box hopes to launch in Japan sometime in this year. This follows the opening of their office in London in 2012, with sites in Munich and Paris following.

This expansion should come as no surprise to those who have been following Box in the recent months. It’s no secret that cloud providers in general are looking to go global and attract business customers. For them, enterprise is where the real money lies.

Other ventures from Box include the acquisition of the technology of a service called dLoop. This is a service which offers advanced data analytics in order to help businesses find content and capture insights from within the organisation. Dropbox, a major competitor for Box, recently announced that they are partnering up with Salesmove, so it only makes sense that Box are doing all they can to attract enterprise users to their service.

For those living outside the States, it’s only a good thing that Box is continuing to expand globally. Dedicated offices in other countries can help towards better service optimisation, including areas such as speeds and support. Their service is obviously doing well and competitiveness within the cloud industry can only be encouraged. It’ll force companies to keep working, striving for each and every important customer. No doubt Box is already eyeing up their next investment opportunity and finding out where to set up shop next.