Box offers 50 GB free storage with updated Android cloud service

Computerworld - Box Thursday said it has updated its cloud storage service Box for Android, adding a new interface to support Android 4.0 devices and new collaboration features.

Box, a provider of cloud storage and sharing software for mobile devices, today also announced plans to offer 50GB of free cloud storage for the Android 1.6 update over the next month. The offer expires March 23.

Box already supports Apple's iPad and iPhone devices, Research in Motion's PlayBook tablet as well as Android-based products, and allows file sharing with desktops.

Box plans to demo the new app at the Google Android booth at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week.

Matthew Self, vice president of platform development at Box, noted that there are already more iPhones, Android smartphones and iPads in use today than Windows desktop systems, which puts an emphasis on having files stored in the cloud accessible to workers using mobile devices.

"The growth of mobile ... is forcing IT to re-evaluate," Self said. "With the emergence of consumer mobile platforms and Bring Your Own Device to work, CIO's are being flooded. Cloud plus mobile is the future."

Box, which claims some 8 million worldwide users, is also adding support for four European languages -- French, Italian, German and Spanish -- to Box for Android 1.6.

Box offers a variety of prices for individuals and business users.

IT shops in businesses and enterprises can arrange to get custom pricing depending on the number of users, Self said.

Lucas Mearian covers storage, disaster recovery and business continuity, financial services infrastructure and health care IT for Computerworld. Follow Lucas on Twitter at @lucasmearian, or subscribe to Lucas's RSS feed . His e-mail address is lmearian@computerworld.com.

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