U3 enables you to travel with your data files and leave your laptop at home

Circle September 2005 on your calendar as the month when you may no longer have to carry around a laptop with you wherever you go.

That's when U3 "smart drives" are expected to hit the market and change the way many mobile computing workers control and access their data.

The U3 smart drive is a USB Flash drive that becomes a user's personal workspace - not only is data stored on the device, but applications can be launched and run from the drive. In essence, workers will be able to leave the laptop at work but take their data with them on a handy drive that fits on a keychain. If a worker can access another computer while on the road (at a client site or public Internet area), they can still use their files without worrying about data being left behind, as everything gets stored on the U3-enabled device.

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Circle September 2005 on your calendar as the month when you may no longer have to carry around a laptop with you wherever you go.

That's when U3 "smart drives" are expected to hit the market and change the way many mobile computing workers control and access their data.

The U3 smart drive is a USB Flash drive that becomes a user's personal workspace - not only is data stored on the device, but applications can be launched and run from the drive. In essence, workers will be able to leave the laptop at work but take their data with them on a handy drive that fits on a keychain. If a worker can access another computer while on the road (at a client site or public Internet area), they can still use their files without worrying about data being left behind, as everything gets stored on the U3-enabled device.

I recently met with officials from U3 http://www.u3.com, the company formed by M-Systems and SanDisk in January to drive the personal workstation concept forward. U3 aims to drive the USB flash drive market from being thought of as a storage device into a product that lets people take their data along with them wherever they go, and leave no trace of data whenever they use a different PC.

The idea of using USB Flash drives as a personal workstation was around before U3 - several companies (PowerHouse's Migo and StealthSurfer come to mind) have produced devices and software that do this. But this relied on specialized hardware configurations, limiting the reach of such a product. U3 aims to promote a standard hardware configuration and software specifications so that any U3-enabled hardware device will be able to support any U3-enabled software. Software companies can go back to creating software without becoming a hardware company.

Enterprises looking to support a mobile workforce should be encouraged by the U3 platform as well, U3 CEO Kate Purmal says. In addition to creating a more secure system for data storage, the U3 platform will include ways to better manage the multitude of USB devices being used by mobile workers. One of the nice features of the U3 platform is the ability of IT to control the types of applications that can be downloaded on a device, as well as requiring certain applications be placed on the device. For example, IT can mandate that an anti-virus scanner be placed onto a device to guarantee that any data is free from viruses. In addition, every mobile worker who leaves the office with a U3-enabled smart drive instead of a laptop helps reduce the overall cost of maintenance.

The list of software applications and companies supporting the U3 platform is already impressive. Software and companies such as Mozilla Firefox, Zone Labs, Ulead Systems, Trend Micro, PowerHouse Technologies and Skype give the U3 platform instant credibility. The list of hardware vendors supporting the platform is equally impressive. In addition to SanDisk and M-Systems, Verbatim, Kingston Technology Partners, Memorex and others have announced plans to make U3-enabled devices.