Centripetal deploys update for unannounced Basecamp API changes

Today 37Signals made modifications to their Basecamp API which modified the way in which they limit the number if calls that can be made to their APIs. Our application has always been in compliance with their requirements and it was because of our strong logging and monitoring that we noticed the issue right away. Basecamp doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to announcing changes to their applications that impact other people that are dependent on it, so we put some extra effort into some mechanisms that would alert us of those changes. When they made these changes today we saw the issues in our logs and began investigating as quickly as possible. Once understood the change we implemented a work around that works with new rules, tested it and deployed it to our servers. Our system is back up and running and all Basecamp backup jobs that hit this error will be picked back up by our scheduler and rerun within 24 hours. We also alerted other Basecamp API users of the issue so that they could know about it as well.

When we originally were settling on an architecture for Centripetal Retrieve for Basecamp, these changes were one of the considerations that we took into account. We chose a hosted application model so that we could control the push of fixes as quickly as possible. Had we chosen a desktop application model that our users download and install on their system, our ability to fix issues would be drastically limited and impossible in most cases. The cloud based application model is one that has a lot of benefits for software vendors as well as customers alike.

Box.net Review

I recently signed up for the free "Lite" version of Box. I was given 1 GB of web-storage and a 25 MB file upload size limit. You can check out Box at Box.net. Box offers tools for securely uploading files to private and public folders that are then accessible for other contributors or embedded into your website for public access. You can also send to social media networks among a variety of other options.

The paid accounts at Box start at $9.95/month for individual users with 10 GB of storage and 1 GB file size limit, $15/user/month for business users (3+ users) with 15 GB of storage and 2 GB file size, and a variable pricing plan for larger companies, referred to as their Enterprise plan, with Unlimited storage and a 2 GB file size limit. Each paid plans offers a 14 day free trial. 

Wanting to just test the system out, I settled for the "Lite" version to dive into what Box has to offer me. After confirming my email address, Box directed me right away to starting the process of their product by creating a folder to be used to store my documents. 

I had the option of creating a private folder or inviting others to upload information to the folder I create. This would be very helpful if I needed people to submit documents to one central location that was easily accessible world wide. For now, I have decided to keep my folder private, but if I change my mind, it is fairly simple to invite collaborators to securely share files inside this folder. 

I created a folder called: Newsletters. When I'm not working for Centripetal Software, I work at a Preschool in the Bay Area. Part of my job is to create our monthly Newsletter. A program like Box would be very helpful for me even at the basic free version. Now I can upload my Newsletters here, invite the school director, board members, or other teachers to view my document, and/or send in contributions to be considered for publication.

As you can see from the screen shot below, I have different and easily understood options to explore after uploading my April Newsletter:

If I don't want to invite collaborators to directly view this folder, Box offers a great option of creating a specific email address for every folder I create. I can then share that email address with anyone, and all they have to do is send an email to contribute information to my folder. Box also creates both an embeddable link to the folder for your website, or a direct link, depending on how you want to share your information.

If I were to upgrade to a different level of Box, I'd have more options on file storage size, file controls, faster uploads, security options, etc. 

Box works with a variety of operating systems, including a Box app for the iPad. I viewed and tested Box in Safari on a Mac OS X operating system. It works on FireFox as well, however, I was unable to find other information on the site about what other Web browsers and systems it works in.

You can link your Box account with a variety of resources. For example, link your account to FedEx office, and send your documents directly from Box to be printed and shipped, or link your account to Twitter, and have updates to your Twitter account when you create a folder for the public eye. The list of applications to integrate to your Box account is impressive and provides tools for many different social and business networking options. 

I was very impressed with Box and think it's a great tool for individuals and business to look into to manage their important documents and files. It's easy to set up and use and I think a worthwhile tool for companies and individuals to look into.

Written by: Kjaere Friestad

Centripetal Software

Community Manager

Fun Product Overview Video

We've been working with Splainers for awhile now on the completion of an animated product overview video for our Centripetal Retrieve for Basecamp product. It's finally done and up on our website, but I thought I'd throw it on the blog as well.

Protecting my critical business data in Basecamp

Centripetal Software specializes in building products to backup business data from online applications. One thing that we have been finding is that many of our customers are moving to online, cloud based, business tools like Basecamp and Highrise partially to get away from managing the infrastructure and all of the IT type of services that go along with running a data center. These customers picked Basecamp and Highrise because they were great tools that also had a stellar track record with availability, reliability and data protection. Many of them came to Centripetal Software to backup their files, Writeboards and data from Basecamp as an added layer of security because they are trusting Basecamp with some of their most critical business data. It's just makes sense for them to keep redundant copies of that data on their own computers.

One Centripetal customer recently said something that is typical of what a lot of customers have been saying:

"I’m looking to back up our Basecamp data because, even though I think 37signals and Amazon/S3 are two extremely solid companies and I fully trust them, I still need to protect our critical business data that exists solely on Basecamp.  I need redundant copies duplicated to our local servers somehow.  The other angle is Basecamp project archiving, we need to remove large projects from Basecamp to clear room for new ones. We mostly use the Files tab, in fact. Having everything automatically pushed to our Dropbox account is a huge help."

Centripetal customers are saying that they fully trust Basecamp, 37Signals, and Amazon S3 with their data, they are not backing up their data because they are afraid of 37Signals or Amazon screwing up. Instead this is an extra layer of security for people who want to stay in complete control of their data.

We recently completed a customer testimonial video with one of their customers that talks about this added layer of backup that people are looking for.

An extra layer of security for people who want to stay in complete control of their data

Here is a quote I got from a customer that is really typical of what I've heard a lot of customers tell me:

"I’m looking to back up our Basecamp data because, even though I think 37signals and Amazon/S3 are two extremely solid companies, I still need to protect our critical business data that exists solely on Basecamp.  I need redundant copies duplicated to our local servers somehow.  The other angle is Basecamp project archiving – it’s a real pain to pull a large project OFF of Basecamp (to clear room for new ones) since they don’t (yet) offer any sort of mass Files export.  We mostly use the Files tab, in fact.  Having everything automatically pushed to our Dropbox account is a huge help."

Our customers are telling us that they fully trust Basecamp, 37Signals, and Amazon S3, they are not backing up their data because they are afraid of them screwing up. Instead this is an extra layer of security for people who want to stay in complete control of their data.