If you want to share office documents, MP3s and videos around the home or with co-workers, you might think of getting Network-Attached Storage (NAS). Trouble is, you can only make use of your NAS when you're attached to the network. The innovative Pogoplug from Cloud Engines frees you from all that, making your files available over the internet too - or, as the company puts it, "We take the cloud and put it right into your home or office".

We were impressed with the Pogoplug when it launched in the UK at the beginning of 2010, and since then Cloud Engines has continued to roll out new features - such as web printing - via free firmware upgrades. But it has also launched a couple of new models, including the Pogoplug Pro with built-in Wi-Fi, and the Pogoplug Biz we're looking at here. This offers some new business-oriented features and a less flamboyant colour scheme.

PogoPlug basics
The Pogoplug Biz's hardware is identical to that of the original Pogoplug. It's still based on a 1.2GHZ ARM processor with 256MB of RAM with 512KB of Flash memory and running Linux (kernel version 2.6.22.18). The idea is that you connect any USB storage device to one of the four USB ports, and you can then share the contents with anyone on the web.

Files can be copied to the device using the My Pogoplug web portal (http://my.pogoplug.com), and all administration is performed there too. Locally, a desktop utility for PC, Mac or Linux maps Pogoplug storage to local drive letters. Files can also be sent via a special email address. A custom email can be setup so that anyone can email files to the device. Free remote access apps for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Palm devices are available, which let you view, upload and save files.

Simple setup
It really is blindingly simple to setup - you just plug it into a wired network and activate it via the website, after signing up for a free account (there are no ongoing charges for the Pogoplug service). Each connected drive appears separately and you can mark drives, folders or individual files for sharing.

Sharing links can be sent to users who don't have a Pogoplug account, and you can even configure it to broadcast updates via Twitter, Facebook or MySpace. You can also add users via email - they then have to create a password for access to shares. The Biz model features a new view-only attribute for shared files, and it also maintains statistics on views and downloads for each file.

The benefits of going Biz
Pogoplug Biz provides additional flexibility, with support for multiple users. Adding these just requires entering their email address. They don't need to own a Pogoplug, and again just need to create a password on their first visit. You can specify which folders they can access, but unfortunately there's no way to set the rights they have - it's full access or nothing.

The web portal has an embedded media player for viewing videos and documents, although document viewing is fairly slow and basic. Videos can be automatically transcoded for web viewing (although this is done by Pogoplug's own servers, and can take some time), and there's now support for HTML5 video and audio streaming in suitably-equipped browsers. Photos can be added to shareable slideshows with optional background music.

Customisation features
The other feature unique to the Biz is the ability to customise the web portal. You can't change the layout, but you can tweak text and background colours or add a background image. A clickable logo can replace the Pogoplug badge, and you can also use your own domain name for the interface by editing your domain's CNAME records.

Web printing enables users to email documents to the Pogoplug, where they will be printed on an attached printer. Unfortunately, though, this feature only works with some models of HP and Epson printer.

An Active Copy feature in the desktop utility can be used to monitor a local folder and copy new files to a chosen folder on the device. Although it doesn't include the built-in Wi-Fi capabilities found in the much cheaper Pro model, a Wi-Fi adapter is available for an extra £19.

Verdict
The biggest attraction of the Pogoplug Biz is the ease with which a non-technical user can setup their own cloud-based file-sharing service. The multi-user capability is a definite plus for business users, although it costs an awful lot more than the standard model and doesn't include Wi-Fi.

Company: Cloud Engines

Tags: pogoplug cloudengines iphone myspace universal serial bus network-attached storage usb flash drive ipad