Box Secure Online Storage, UMass Amherst’s legacy online file storage and sharing service, will be retired in 2021 due to vendor-driven changes, including a dramatic cost increase and the end of the unlimited storage offering. 

Members of the campus community have other, equally secure storage platforms at their disposal, including Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive. 

Box remains available for the remainder of the 2020-2021 academic year as teaching, learning, working, and research continue remotely. During this time, IT teams from UMass Amherst IT in conjunction with IT professionals in academic and administrative units will work with faculty and staff to prepare for moving Box data to other online storage platforms.

• An automated solution will help members of the campus community move their files from Box to OneDrive with an eye to replicating workflows and permission settings.
• Support will also be available for moving files from Box to Google Drive.
• Additional support will be provided to instructors who use Box for their course materials.

Unlike Box, which only offers storage, both OneDrive and Google Drive provide more opportunities for communication and collaboration as part of their larger ecosystems of applications (Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace respectively). They also include more flexible options for the storage needs and preferences of our students, faculty, and staff, beyond what Box can offer. Online File Storage Platforms Compared 

For up-to-date details on the transition from Box, see the IT Service Transition: Secure Online Storage (Box) Retirement Updates page. Questions? Contact IT User Services at it@umass.edu or 413-545-TECH (8324).

Service changes and transitions are an essential step in UMass Amherst’s continuous digital transformation. We are committed to modernizing the campus technology infrastructure with unified, cost-effective enterprise platforms that ensure data security, increase functionality, and enhance user support.