Kingston Digital Launches Windows To Go USB Drive

Kingston Digital said on Tuesday that it has shipped its new USB 3.0 drive certified for Windows To Go, the Kingston DataTraveler Workspace USB Flash drive. Geared for Windows 8 Enterprise, DataTraveler Workspace allows businesses to provision a corporate desktop on an external USB drive. Thus when the USB stick is inserted into a portable device, employees and other users can boot into a Windows 8 environment.

"DataTraveler Workspace is made specifically for organizations that want to use the new Windows To Go feature found in Windows 8 Enterprise," the company said. "The drive is designed to help IT administrators support their mobile user base — from remote employees to contractors and consultants. DataTraveler Workspace helps companies and organizations meet both bring your own device (BYOD) initiatives and disaster recovery requirements."

Kingston is promising SSD performance when transferring files to the drive, but the connected mobile device will need a USB 3.0 port to take advantage of the SuperSpeed technology. Not to worry, though: it's fully backwards compatible and able to work on Windows 7 and Windows 8 PCs still existing on old-school USB 2.0 technology.

Kingston's specs state that the DataTraveler Workspace features sequential read speeds of up to 250 MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 250 MB/s. Sustained random 4k read and write speeds are 3,750 and 9,800 IOPS respectively, and the gadget has even scored a 22,250 using the PCMARK Vantage HDD Suite.

"There's been such a revolutionary shift in today's workforce and by pairing our innovations, we give customers an effective alternative to help them safely and efficiently access the corporate network regardless of where they are in the world," said Karri Alexion-Tiernan, Director of Product Marketing, Windows Enterprise, Microsoft. "With Kingston's DataTraveler Workspace, customers will be able to deliver a great experience when running Windows 8 from a USB drive."

Kingston is offering the DataTraveller Workspace in 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB capacities, the latter of which will be built to order. For pricing information, contact a corporate reseller or distributor. Meanwhile, here's the list of specs:

* Certified for Windows To Go: administrators can easily deploy a bootable corporate workspace on a specially configured portable USB drive
* USB 3.0 SSD: capitalizes on USB 3.0 specifications by incorporating SSD controller technology in order to achieve high random read/write performance and low latencies
* Fixed drive: not designed for data storage
* Easy to use: enables users to boot and operate from multiple PCs
* Security-enhanced: supports BitLocker for data encryption and Trusted Boot for protecting boot process and anti-malware software
* Resilient: to accidental removal so the workspace can resume if the drive is plugged back in within 60 seconds
* Compatible: with PCs certified for use with Windows 7 or Windows 8 operating systems
* Backwards compatible: with USB 2.0 to fit more systems while optimizing performance
* Guaranteed: two-year warranty meets lifetime expectations in typical workloads; free technical support
* Reliable: 25 years of experience makes Kingston the most trusted name in memory with high-quality components and rigorous testing procedures
* Capacities: 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB* (*build to order)
* Speed:
    - Max Sequential Read/Write speeds: 250/250 MB/s
    - Sustained Random 4k Read/Write: 3,750/9,800 IOPS
    - PCMARK Vantage HDD Suite Score: 22,250
* Supports TRIM and S.M.A.R.T commands
* Dimensions: 75.29-mm x 22.98-mm x 16.44-mm
* Operating Temperature: 32°F to 140°F (0°C to 60°C)
* Storage Temperature: -4°F to 185°F (-20°C to 85°C)

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