Box (also known as Box.net) has just introduced some boosted features to its platform and this should lead to more powerful iPhone and Android applications.
If you don’t know, the Box apps enable users to utilize cloud storage in order to access documents and files anywhere they go. While there are other companies in this space, Box has made its name by being more appealing to business and enterprise customers.
The company is updating its iOS library and introducing a Java library for the Android platform and this will make it even easier for a third-party developer to tie into the service for cloud storage and more. This update also includes collaboration API methods which will make it simple to invite others to collaborate, manage who can access the files and more.
The Box team is also teaming up with heavy-hitters like AT&T, Verizon and Hewlett-Packard to present the Box Mobile Dev Challenge. This will be a call for app makers to build enterprise-friendly apps that leverage the Box platform and includes cash prizes and other incentives. While the enterprise focus of this may not be the most exciting aspect, there is definitely a convergence of work and personal lives, so I’m sure the winning app will have multiple uses.
It’s a great time to be the Box folks, as its consumer-facing rival Dropbox is in the middle of raising hundreds of millions at a massive, multi-billion valuation and the company’s focus on deep-pocketed enterprises mean Box is in a good position to also ride that wave. Some may say that this is the surest signs of a bubble but when you really think about what types of problems companies like Box are trying to solve (cloud storage and collaboration), there is bound to be a large market for these types of services.