Cisco & Box team up for Project Squared iOS & Android collaboration app

Box and Cisco have launched an enterprise collaboration tool dubbed Project Squared, which is designed to make it easier for teams to work on shared projects and files.

The tool is built on Cisco’s Collaboration Cloud platform and Box’s storage service. Users can set up team rooms inside the app, which also supports instant messaging, voice messages and video calls.

People can be invited into rooms by users via email and share files with them. Files are rendered in the cloud and viewable immediately alongside messages with no download required.

iPhone, iPad or Android device users can also share content from their Box accounts directly into a Project Squared room.

Supporting Project Squared is Cisco’s Collaboration Cloud, which is part of Cisco's broader Intercloud strategy.

This will allow Intercloud partners to host Project Squared for their users. The Collaboration Cloud will also provide the app with end-to-end content encryption. IT teams can manage Project Squared by asking employees to use their corporate single sign-on (SSO) credentials and IT-approved passwords.

As well as Box, Project Squared will also integrate with calendars, Active Directory and WebEx.

Rowan Trollope, senior vice president and general manager of Collaboration Technology Group at Cisco, said the app was created to “transform the collaboration experience”.

“We have lots of ideas on how to continue to enhance the Project Squared experience, and we’re on a mission to keep integrating with important business tools so that your rooms truly help you do your best work,” he said.

Cisco isn’t the only firm looking to tap the enterprise collaboration market. As reported by sister publication IT Pro, Facebook is rumoured to be working on an enterprise version of its social network, dubbed Facebook At Work.