What Box is (in plain English)

Box is a secure, cloud-based home for all the documents, files, and records your company uses every day. It centralizes content, lets teams work together from anywhere, and wraps everything in strong security, governance, and compliance controls — so your Back Office can run smoothly without juggling a dozen tools. (box.com)

Core things Box does really well

• One place for all your content. Store, organize, and manage files of all types, then find what you need fast with search and metadata. It replaces scattered file servers and ad‑hoc shares with a single, managed platform. (box.com)

• Seamless collaboration (internal and external). Work with colleagues, partners, and vendors in shared folders, on the web, and from desktop with Box Drive — while keeping permissions clear and auditable. Business Plus and above make external collaboration especially flexible. (support.box.com)

• Built-in e‑signatures. Box Sign is included, so you can send and collect signatures right where the documents live, with unlimited sending on business plans. That keeps contract, HR, and finance flows in one place. (box.com)

• No‑code workflow automation. Box Relay lets teams automate reviews, approvals, and notifications with simple “if this, then that” logic — no scripting required. You also get templates to kick-start common processes. (support.box.com)

• Enterprise‑grade security and compliance. Box Shield adds native DLP and threat detection; the platform includes encryption, granular sharing controls, and SSO/MFA. Box supports industry and regulatory needs (e.g., SOC reports, ISO standards, HIPAA support with BAA, and U.S. FedRAMP High authorization). (box.com)

• Governance and records management. Set retention schedules, place legal holds, and manage defensible disposition — all integrated with your content and compatible with leading eDiscovery tools. (box.com)

• Data residency and sovereignty. With Box Zones, you can store encrypted content in specific regions and even assign different users to different zones without breaking collaboration. (box.com)

• Smooth migrations. Box Shuttle helps you move content (and optional permissions, metadata, and versions) from legacy systems like file shares, Google Drive, or SharePoint — with simulations, delta syncs, and detailed reports to reduce risk. (box.com)

• 1,500+ integrations. Connect Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Slack, and your security stack so content flows through the tools people already use — while Box remains the secure content layer. (box.com)

Why this matters to a solid Back Office

• Single source of truth. Policies, contracts, SOPs, vendor files, and financial records stay in one governed repository — fewer duplicates, fewer “which version?” headaches, and far better auditability. (box.com)

• Consistent controls across departments. Finance, HR, Legal, and Procurement all benefit from retention rules, legal holds, and permissioning that apply uniformly, no matter which app created the file. (box.com)

• Streamlined processes. Use Relay to standardize approvals (e.g., vendor onboarding, PO approvals, policy sign‑offs), and use Sign to finish the loop without jumping to a separate e‑signature tool. (support.box.com)

• Risk reduction by design. Shield policies help prevent oversharing and catch suspicious activity, while Zones and compliance attestations support regulatory requirements. That’s easier for audits and third‑party reviews. (box.com)

• Fewer systems to manage. Box integrates with your identity provider, mail/chat suite, CRM/ERP, and SIEM — so IT keeps visibility while end users keep their favorite tools. (box.com)

Core feature set (at a glance)

• Content management: folders, metadata, preview, versioning, desktop access with Box Drive. (support.box.com)

• Collaboration: secure sharing, external collaborators, tasks, comments, and activity tracking. (boxenterprise.net)

• E‑signature: integrated document sending, signer routing, reminders, and status tracking. (support.box.com)

• Workflow automation: no‑code workflows, multi‑step outcomes, and templates. (support.box.com)

• Security: encryption at rest/in transit, SSO/MFA, device trust, IP allow‑listing, watermarking. (box.com)

• Threat detection & DLP: classification, access policies, malware deep scan, anomaly alerts. (box.com)

• Governance: retention policies, legal holds, event‑based retention, eDiscovery integrations. (box.com)

• Compliance & attestations: support for HIPAA with BAA, SOC reports, ISO standards, and U.S. FedRAMP High authorization (for Box for Government). (support.box.com)

• Data residency: choose where content is stored globally; assign zones per user; migrate automatically. (support.box.com)

• Integrations & APIs: 1,500+ prebuilt apps plus developer platform to extend workflows. (box.com)

• Migration tooling: Box Shuttle for content, permissions, versions, and delta syncs. (box.com)

How pricing and plans generally work (time‑agnostic)

Box uses tiered, per‑user pricing for business and enterprise plans, typically with annual billing options. All business‑class plans include large storage allocations (commonly unlimited) and increase limits and controls as you move up tiers. Here’s the high‑level shape you can expect:

• Business. Core collaboration and admin controls for small and mid‑sized teams; generous storage, desktop access, secure sharing, and Box Sign included. Upload limits are set for typical office files. (box.com)

• Business Plus. Everything in Business plus more external collaboration flexibility (e.g., wider external user access) and metadata features; higher single‑file upload sizes. Good fit when you work a lot with agencies, partners, and clients. (boxenterprise.net)

• Enterprise. Advanced security and admin features with options like Shield and Governance, higher upload limits, SSO/MDM integrations, and expanded reporting/compliance features. (box.com)

• Enterprise Plus / Enterprise Advanced (top tiers). Bundles more governance, security, residency (e.g., Zones), and platform/API capacity for content‑heavy operations, with the largest file sizes and more automation capabilities. (box.com)

• Trials and add‑ons. Free trials are commonly available, and specialized add‑ons (e.g., Zones, KeySafe, advanced governance/security) can be included or purchased depending on tier.