Box Updates iOS App With TouchID, Widgets And Favourites

Cloud specialist Box has updated its iOS application with new notifications and TouchID support, while it is also rolling out updates to its web platform in a bid to make workplace collaboration easier.

Box for iPhone and iPad 3.5 uses the Touch ID API introduced in iOS 8 to let users access their account with their fingerprint if they are using an iPhone 5S, 6 or 6 Plus.

The latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system also introduces widgets in the notification centre, something else Box has taken advantage of. Its widget lets users see their five most recent files, create a new Box note, take a photo or video and save it directly to Box or access their favourite files and folders.

Box iOS

Favourites is a new feature for iOS, Android and the web versions of Box and allows users to easily mark content for easy access later. Favourites have been added to Box’s Content API so developers can make use of the feature in applications built on the platform.

The web version has also received a streamlined user interface with simpler controls and faster page load performance, along with enhanced notifications.

Admins also benefit from a number of new backend controls, including ‘whitelists’, that let IT departments specify trusted domains and restrict employees to sharing content only with approved organisations. Another new tool lets admins see how content is shared with partners and customers outside their business, allowing them to easily monitor the collaboration process.

Earlier this year at its Boxworks event in San Francisco, Box outlined a number of new security features designed to give firms easier control over data, while it now also lets customers access Office 365 files directly from within Box. It hopes to distinguish itself from rivals like OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox by pitching Box as a platform, not just a cloud storage repistory.

The company is gearing up for an Initial Public Offering (IPO), which had been expected to take place earlier this year. However it has delayed plans in favour of another round of private funding, telling TechWeekEurope it will go public at an “appropriate time” with stronger investor confidence.

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