Integrate Salesforce with Box.com

Box is a leading cloud based online file sharing and content management solution for enterprises. Box Enterprise File Synchronization and Sharing (EFSS) solution is secure, fit for easy collaboration, ready for all kinds of devices and can easily be integrated with your other apps (like Office 365, Salesforce.com, DocuSign etc.). The notable use cases supported by Box includes: Secure file sharing, File synchronization, Digital asset management, Document management etc.

Here is a quick look at the integration with Salesforce.com. 

Salesforce.com is an awesome platform for configuring as well as developing cloud based applications. While it comes with features of its own (e.g. Salesforce CRM Content) to store and manage documents, you may prefer to explore other cloud based file storage and management solutions for your apps and enterprise. This can be due to cheaper costs for storage, matured enterprise level file synchronization and sharing capabilities, and on. Few other solution option (like Box) can be considered for Salesforce apps are: Google Drive, Amazon S3, MS OneDrive.


Integration Options
There are couple of options when we are integration Salesforce.com with Box:

Integration using Box.com AppExchange app for Salesforce

Probably the easiest way to bring in Box capabilities into your Salesforce application. All what you need to do is to install the Box.com app package from AppExchange marketplace into your Salesforce org. and configure the same. Once configured you would be able to access all Box capabilities through Salesforce - it can using standard object page layouts, custom object page layout and visual force pages (for custom use case needs). The Box.com app for Salesforce comes with custom tabs which facilitates app configuration and access to Box capabilities.

+ Easy and quick installation and setup
+ Minimum customization needed - hence, quicker to production

- Minimum flexibility for branding and customized use cases
- iFrame based integration
- No integration at metadata level


Integration through Programmatic approach using Box API

This option needs custom coding to integrate. Box API are used as per given use cases to integrate Salesforce with Box. API uses REST to communication between the two cloud platforms.

+ Flexibility how you want to design your integration between platforms
+ Custom use cases can be handled easily
+ Need for Box account for your application end users can be avoided

- More customization needed which may take longer compared to app based integration
- Manual intervention may be needed if interface is unused for 60 consecutive days


Few lines about Postman option

Postman is a handy tool (chrome extension) to make API calls. You can install the extension in your chrome browser and then, make Box API calls to test, evaluate and experiment Box API before deploying the same in your applications. You can also import all the collections (list of API grouped by category) into you Postman tool and create your own collections to make your Postman life smooth.

The following link talks about latest pilot to enable Box content seamlessly through Salesforce.com features. Read More on this!