Box.net is an online file system that allows users to store, access and share files remotely. Its services include online storage, file hosting, and file sharing.

Box.net was founded in 2005 as a college business project by Aaron Levie (CEO) and Dylan Smith (CFO). It was incorporated in April of that year. Originally based in Washington, Box.net moved to Palo Alto, California, United States in late 2006.

Box received angel capital from Mark Cuban in 2005, then raised a Series A round of $1.5 million from Draper Fisher Jurvetson in 2006. In late 2007, it raised a Series B round of $6 million from U.S. Venture Partners and Draper Fisher Jurvetson.

Box.net currently has over 2 million users and serves over 1 million files a day. In 2007, Box.net was named a WebWare 100 Award winner in the “Data” category. It was also chosen by AlwaysOn as one of the “AO 100 Top Private Companies” for 2007. In 2008, it was named in the Webware 100 again, in the Utility and Security category.

Box.net’s product offering was initially consumer-focused. In August 2007, it introduced its Enterprise offering, targeting larger organizations and emphasizing collaboration tools.

In December 2007 the company launched its OpenBox platform, which connects data from Box.net with other applications and services across the web. Included in the launch were online services EchoSign, Autodesk, Zoho, ThinkFree, Scribd, Picnik, Zazzle, Twitter and Myxer.

API

Box.net has an API for developers, which is implemented over conventional XML. Box.net was the first Internet storage provider to launch an open API.

Box.net API documentation is available at the OpenBox Developer Documentation Site. There are currently more than 1000 developers in Box.net’s Developer Network.

Featured applications and free plug-ins are featured on the main site: Box Apps.

With the launch of its OpenBox platform, Box.net recently added the ability for developers to create services that will interact with a user’s files on Box.net.

Products

Box.net is a subscription-based service. Current plans include:

• Lite: 1 GB of space, 25MB file size limit (free)
• Student: 2 GB of space, 50MB file size limit
• Individual: 5 GB of space, 1GB file size limit and password protection
• Professional: 15 GB of space, 1 GB file size limit, 5 Guest user accounts, SSL, password protection and more.
• Enterprise: Provides a scalable business solution for small groups and large companies. Enterprise users have access to an administrative panel allowing complete control of regular accounts as well as personalized branding options.

Links

• Box.net website