Cloud file sharing firm Box has launched “Box Developer Edition”, a platform designed to be used as the backbone of new apps they build.

Announced at the second annual Box Dev Day, the new product allows devs to use only the features of Box they want – be it file storage, content previews or something else – built into their own applications. The platform comes with all the features already included in Box, including encryption, user authentication, auditing and regulatory compliance systems, and users can access this all from the developer’s app rather than logging into Box, explained Heidi Williams, head of Box’s platform engineering team.

In a demonstration of the product yesterday, Box technicians showed off a dummy healthcare application built using the platform. From it, they gained access to various different folders containing content. The experience was seamless, and Box’s presence was completely hidden.

“That means you own the branding, you own the customer experience, and that’s awesome,” said Williams.

Box executives also showed off an administrative dashboard, explaining that developers who use the app will have full access to the same data as application users, such as data usage, their folders, analytics and more.

Box Developer Edition is an important milestone for Box, as the company is keen to show more growth in user numbers and revenues following its IPO earlier this year.

Box didn’t say how much it would be charging for this new service, nor did it say when we can expect a general release. Right now, Box Developer Edition is only available as a private preview. For access, interested developers can send an email to developer-edition@box.com.

Image credit: Humusak via Pixabay.com