Set Yourself Up for a Smooth Transition from Stanford University Box

The information in this article applies to Stanford University Box only. Stanford Medicine has a parallel project underway, and University IT (UIT) is working with their project team to align our efforts.

The ongoing effort to reduce the use of Stanford University Box is ramping up. The migration of data from Box to other existing solutions will start for some in the fall and will complete for everyone by the end of 2022.

First steps

You’re encouraged to begin preparing for the change now. Here are some steps you can take.

• Do start cleaning. Organizing and reducing your files before migration will save time later. You may want to search your Box content to identify the folders you own. Assess your content to determine if it's relevant and delete or transfer ownership for files you no longer need to access. For files that are shared with you that you no longer need, end collaboration.
• Don’t build new processes around Box. If possible, avoid starting any new projects or sharing new files in Box. Instead, use an alternative cloud storage service.
• Get familiar with alternate solutions. Consider your existing needs to prepare to transition to alternative document management and storage systems. Keep an eye on the project website at box-migration.stanford.edu and watch for other communications for more information on options.
  • For document management, Google Shared drives are Stanford’s preferred solution. University IT (UIT) also supports Microsoft OneDrive.Check with your local IT professional to see whether your school/dept/unit already has a preferred solution.
  • For the storage of data used by principal investigators (PIs) and research groups, including research data or backups of datasets, UIT has other alternatives, such as the SRCC Oak storage environment. 
  • Explore the features of the option you will use.
• Move files manually. If you want to move unshared Box files that you own yourself, you can do so whenever you’d like. Remember to delete anything that you have moved from Box once you’re done. Here’s how to: 
  • download files and folders from Box.
  • upload files and folders to Google Drive.
  • upload files and folders to OneDrive
• Visit the project webpage. Bookmark the project webpage at box-migration.stanford.edu as your source for general information about the project, migration resources, and information on document management and storage solutions.

Think outside of the Box

University IT (UIT) is working to provide a centrally managed, automated solution that will move files from Stanford University Box to Google Shared drive or OneDrive on behalf of end-users.

For moves to these environments, we plan to schedule centralized data migrations on a rolling basis, in collaboration with IT partners in schools and departments. When it’s time for your account to be moved, you’ll be notified.  Stay tuned for more details.

Why is Box going away?

Box has changed its contractual offering and dramatically raised prices. Additionally, Stanford offers other document management solutions that provide similar capabilities as Box and have the benefit of integrating with productivity tools already used by the university. Streamlining our file-sharing options will help the university reduce expenses while also simplifying collaboration.

Default storage limits for new Box accounts

If you have an existing Stanford University Box account, unlimited storage will continue to be available to you during the transition period. However, beginning Fall 2021, new Stanford University Box accounts will have a default storage limit of 1 GB. New Box users may request an increase in their allowance but will be encouraged to use alternative storage solutions if possible.

Get help

If you have questions about the Box transition or need help, please submit a Help request.

Learn more

• Don’t Put Stanford in a Box
• Three-Year Plan to Reduce Use of Stanford Box