The plucky little PogoPlug, which I reviewed last December, has seen a number of modest updates in the months since. All of these updates are rolled out automatically, so unless you’re following the PogoPlug blog you might never know about them. The word on the street today is that a whole new PogoPlug device is coming, called the PogoPlug Biz. It sports a white case, instead of the jarring pink of the non-biz version, and offers a number of handsome features.
The new PogoPlug Biz allows for a lot of customization: everything from the domain used to access the web-based shares to the logo, color and background image displayed. This goes a long way to making the PogoPlug useful for business environments: you can share files with clients without having to try to explain what a PogoPlug is or why your clients need to use it. Perhaps the biggest new feature is the addition of usage stats and auditing. You can know how many times a file was accessed, and whether it was downloaded or streamed. This will be a boon to small businesses everywhere.
Additional new features, some of which are also available to current PogoPlugs, include the ability to email files to your PogoPlug, printing from mobile devices to a printer attached to your PogoPlug, and storage quotas for new users.
Basically, PogoPlug provides almost all of the features of something like Dropbox, except that it uses storage media that’s under your control rather than “in the cloud”. For a one-time fee of $299 you can buy the PogoPlug Biz, which includes lifetime PogoPlug service. Not too shabby.
Here’s the full press release:
Cloud Engines Launches New Pogoplug Biz for Business Users
Pogoplug Biz is the secure and inexpensive way for a business
to access, share and send files over the Internet
Cloud Engines, Inc, announces today the introduction of the Pogoplug Biz, a new version of the company’s award-winning Pogoplug specifically designed for business use. The Pogoplug Biz offers safe and secure remotely accessible storage and a flexible system for controlling access to video, audio, photos, and documents from anywhere on the Internet.
The product installs in 60 seconds and requires no modification to network or firewall settings. Pogoplug Biz lets business owners use their own domain name(s) and customize (or “skin”) the user interface and email templates, enabling users to seamlessly represent their company whenever they share files online. A Pogoplug Biz, combined with one or more USB hard drives provides businesses with an extensible cloud storage solution with no monthly fees.
Pogoplug Biz features include:
– Usage Statistics and Auditing: quickly access a summary of how many times a file or folder has been viewed, streamed or downloaded. Keep track of the number of views, streams, and downloads.
– Customization: customize the look and feel of the Pogoplug interface, including the color, logo, domain name and background image. Customize the look and feel of emails that are sent when you share files.
– Custom Email Addresses: claim your own custom email addresses and let your clients email files to your Pogoplug. Create an unlimited number of custom upload folders and give them each a unique email address to share with your clients.
– Cloud/Mobile Printing: print from any mobile device, including the iPhone and iPad. Print to any printer connected to Pogoplug, from anywhere.
– Web View-Only Sharing: share viewable files over the web while preventing them from being downloaded. Web View is perfect for creative professionals and photographers who want to show clients previews of work but not allow them to download the files.
– Multiple Users: allows an administrator to set access levels and storage quotas for individual users.
– Remote backup: continuously mirror all or part of your Pogoplug storage to a second Pogoplug in a remote location.
“Businesses need online storage and sharing solutions that aren’t encumbered by fees or limitations,” said Daniel Putterman, CEO of Cloud Engines, Inc. “Pogoplug Biz gives companies a secure, private and customizable solution to solve this problem.”
The Pogoplug Biz is available for preorder at Pogoplug.com/buy. Pogoplug Biz costs $299 with lifetime Pogoplug service.
Useful Links
Pogoplug web site: www.pogoplug.com
Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/pogoplug
Pogoplug online community: www.pogoplugged.comAbout the Pogoplug Biz
The Pogoplug Biz is a device that connects up to 4 external hard drives to the Internet. It is designed for businesses that need to share remote storage of a variety of file types via the Internet to co-workers and customers anywhere in the world. Robust customization allows the Pogoplug Biz to represent your company or brand effectively while maintaining Pogoplug’s famously easy set-up and use.