What could your business do with 20 iPads? Box.net & TUAW want to find out

The application period for the Box.net iPad offer has ended. Stay tuned for more on the progress of the experiment soon!

There are plenty of cloud storage and collaboration services that sound good in an elevator pitch or seem promising when sketched on the back of a napkin; precious few ever really get working at a scale and sophistication that truly can make a difference for the vast majority of users. One service that has the track record to claim that crown (not to mention a long list of happy customers) is Box.net, which has been pushing bits and making friends since 2005.

Beyond the web-centric file storage and laundry list of distributed applications that Box offers, there's an item of keen interest to iPhone and iPad users: the new and improved Box.net app, which gives you easy and rapid access to your entire file library on the go. You can also find Box.net API support in apps like Goodreader, giving you plenty of options when it comes to getting at your stuff.

With all this mobile support in place, it's interesting to think about the usage scenarios and new solutions that businesses could devise ... if only they had some iPads, and some help. Wouldn't it be exciting to experiment? And wouldn't it be that much more exciting if, say, the iPads were free?

The hunt begins for one fortunate firm that's ready to answer the question "Is the iPad ready for business?" Box.net is offering 20 iPads and a Box business account to the company that comes up with the best fit and workflow for how your business would take advantage of the iPads and the collaboration tools. In 200 words, in the widget below, upload a text or Word file with your rationale, and put your contact info/company name in the description field. If your story resonates, your shop may benefit. The Box account lasts a year, and the iPads are yours to keep.

Meanwhile, TUAW will be checking in with the winning firm frequently through the course of the program, sharing the lessons learned and the experience gained with other would-be iPad adopters in the business world. We'll be chatting by video, visiting the office (geography permitting), and helping share your stories during the year to come.

Full details and FAQ are here. Give it a shot -- you could find yourself sitting atop a stack of 20 iPads.

Disclaimer: Box.net is the sole administrator of the iPads for Business program and will determine all the conditions and requirements of participation. TUAW is not responsible for the iPads for Business program and cannot answer questions or provide support for any device or application on the iPads. No advertising contract or financial relationship exists between TUAW and Box.net.

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Source: http://sites.box.net/ipadsforbusiness/

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The application period for the Box.net iPad offer has ended. Stay tuned for more on the progress of the experiment soon! There are plenty...

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Benjamin

I think the medical field would do well with a boost from what both iPads and box.net has to offer. The ability for patients to have up-to-the-hour drop-box information available to them in the office almost goes without saying. Who wouldn't want that as a patient in the US? We hear so many complaints that the medical office is too hurried and inattentive to patient's needs. The ability to add patient information (both to the patient via drop-boxes or from the patient via iPad uploads) would be invaluable. It would certainly set an unprecedented initiative for others in the medical field to follow. That would help clinical medicine, of course, but it would also be nice for box.net to have their name on that futuristic venture.

April 30 2010 at 9:40 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

pete

Just sent in our story last week as well. Whether or not we win we are super excited about ipads and a box.net combo and hope to be using them both on a small scale in the near future for our business as we are a very tech savvy group that loves to share ideas via the web. Staying connected to make our ideas come across as one idea in the real world of business and music is paramount to any business. Anyone ignoring this will lose out on a better technology tomorrow.
word
~petesimple

April 26 2010 at 4:00 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Torrey

I talked it over in my business, and we just sent in our application. Hope we win! :)

April 23 2010 at 3:37 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

JDWilliams

I'd really like it if you started a new contest with the same prizes for a classroom. I'm currently looking into ways to find funding to go 1:1 in my classroom. With the way AZ (like everywhere else) is cutting the education budget, I don't see it happening through any state funded programs.

April 22 2010 at 7:29 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

tntjapan

Well, it sox that only US based business qualify. I have had this idea long ago... It is a great Idea but I guess I will have to keep saving money to experiment on my own.

April 22 2010 at 5:24 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

CraigO

Don't suppose I could qualify as a business since URL DELETED?

April 22 2010 at 4:46 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to CraigO's comment

Michael Rose

Fun's fun, Craig, but please stop spamming your URL now. If you keep it up, we'll have to block you.

April 22 2010 at 4:59 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Rego

If box.net wants to attract businesses using iPads they should start by getting rid of their flash videos.

I am hoping that Apple will expand Mobile.me in it's North Carolina facility to do the kinds of things that box.net claims to do, but at a much better price point,

April 22 2010 at 3:05 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

3 replies to Rego's comment

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