Box adds links to third-party web apps, sites

IDG News Service - Box announced on Tuesday an HTML5 framework that makes it possible for customers and other vendors to fully integrate features of its file sharing and cloud storage software into websites and enterprise applications.

The framework, called Box Embed, is pre-built code that can be deployed on an iframe, bringing Box's functionality into the user interface of Web-based applications, intranets, extranets, wikis, blogs and the like.

Box's vision is to make its cloud storage and file sharing service the common, central document management repository for all Web applications used by its customers, said Chris Yeh, Box's vice president of platform. "This is a significant step for us," he said. "This is key to our strategy."

The decision to develop Box Embed grew out of requests from existing customers, many of whom want to use Box as the unifying, default document storage and file sharing application for their Web-based applications, Yeh said.

Out of the gate, 10 vendors of cloud-based enterprise applications are backing Box Embed, including Oracle, SugarCRM, Zendesk, Jive Software and NetSuite.

The company is eyeing partnerships with more than 100 other software vendors, as it recognizes that it needs a critical mass of third-party participants for Box Embed in order to succeed with all of its customers.

Box is used by about 14 million employees in 140,000 businesses, including 92 percent of the Fortune 500 companies.

Juan Carlos Perez covers enterprise communication/collaboration suites, operating systems, browsers and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Juan on Twitter at @JuanCPerezIDG.