Box Inc. and Microsoft Corp. announced an expanded partnership to jointly offer Box cloud content management with Azure to enterprise customers. Box will use Azure as a strategic public cloud platform, and the companies commit to shared go-to-market investments, including initiatives to co-sell Box with Azure. In addition, the partnership will enable future integration between Azure’s artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities with Box’s cloud content management platform.
“Azure is a trusted partner in the enterprise, and we’re thrilled to be integrating our technologies and going to market with Microsoft,” said Aaron Levie, co-founder and CEO, Box. “Microsoft shares our vision to transform how people and organizations work, and Box and Azure together can unlock incredible opportunities for innovation.”
“Box shares our focus and commitment to empowering enterprises on their digital transformation journey,” said Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of Microsoft’s Cloud and Enterprise Division. “With this new partnership, we ensure customers can take advantage of Box’s platform on Azure, and look forward to future innovations using Azure’s intelligent cloud services.”
The companies intend to collaborate on initiatives, including these:
Box with Azure
Businesses globally will be able to purchase Box’s cloud content management platform, as well as extended functionality like Box Governance, while choosing to store their Box content on Azure.
Advanced machine learning and cognitive computing
Box will explore integrating Azure’s best-in-class Cognitive Services to extend the capabilities of Box’s cloud content management solution. Potential integrations might include advanced content processing technologies like video indexing, which uses natural language processing to generate metadata and power advanced search capabilities. Customers in media and entertainment, for example, could potentially use the technology to discover related content or make recommendations for their Box content.
Box Zones leveraging Azure
Introduced in April 2016, Box Zones helps businesses address data sovereignty concerns by enabling in-region data storage. Currently, Box Zones is available in eight countries. Over time, Box intends to leverage Azure’s global footprint to expand Box Zones coverage to many more regions while also giving customers choice and flexibility in local storage options. Today, Azure has announced 40 datacenter regions around the world — more than any other cloud provider — giving customers the flexibility and scale needed to transform their businesses.
Pricing and availability
The new Box and Azure offering is expected to be available later this year. More information on pricing and geographic availability will be shared at a later date.
About Box
Box is the cloud content management company that empowers enterprises to revolutionize how they work by securely connecting their people, information, and applications. Founded in 2005, Box powers more than 74,000 businesses globally, including AstraZeneca, General Electric, P&G, and The GAP. Box is headquartered in Redwood City, CA, with offices across the United States, Europe, and Asia. To learn more about Box, visit†http://www.box.com/.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
Read more at https://news.microsoft.com/2017/06/27/box-microsoft-partner-cloud-conten…
