Box.net Extends Reach of Collaboration Service

Box.net, a provider of collaboration software delivered as a service, is expanding the reach of its offering to include a broad range of file types.

According to Jen Grant, vice president of marketing, the ability to extend the Box.net service to include support for file types such as Adobe PhotoShop, Microsoft Office and others is provided via the inclusion of a content management technology that Box.net acquired when it purchased Increo Solutions.

Box.net is one of a handful of emerging software-as-a-service companies seeking to leverage the need for online collaboration software that now find themselves competing more with companies such as Google, Cisco and IBM, which have all expanded their presences in this category as it continues to rapidly grow.

Grant said that ultimately this battle will be won by the service that provides the most seamless access to a broad array of file types in a way that can be easily managed, which she said is what drove Box.net to acquire Increo. Included in that approach, she noted, is a commitment by Box.net to seamlessly integrate with other cloud computing platforms such as Google Docs and Salesforce.com.

At present, Grant says Box.net has 3.5 million users of its service in 50,000 businesses.