GigaOM » Pogoplug

Pogoplug becomes latest company to resell Amazon services

Barb Darrow — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:00:36 +0000

After Amazon announced Glacier, its slow-but-cheap data archiving service, a few weeks ago, it was only a matter of time before third-party service providers would take advantage of it. Now Pogoplug appears to be the first to do so. The San Francisco startup, which made its name with its shared storage service for small businesses and consumers has integrated Glacier as the archiving backend for that service.

Timing was a factor, said Pogoplug CEO Dan Putterman. “We were planning to integrate an archival service last year, and had started down that path, but when Glacier came out, we figured why not use that?”

Pogoplug CEO Dan Putterman

Pogoplug’s Team Service lets businesses use an existing server as shared and secure storage for authorized users, and a small Pogoplug device brings similar capabilities to home users. Now those Pogoplug devices, using the Amazon Glacier API, will integrate with Glacier and act as way stations for data as it is continually archived.

Pogoplug itself will aggregate Amazon Glacier storage charges– which can be as low as $0.01 per GB – and networking fees into its $199 annual subscription for five users. That plan covers 5 TB of offsite storage. A family plan starting at $29 per year offers unlimited home storage with 100 GB of offsite archiving.

As is usually the case with Amazon, it’s the networking fees that can bite you. For Glacier there is no charge for incoming data or for data retrieval up to 1 GB per month. But charges start applying at $0.120 per GB for up to 10 TB of data retrieved. In other words, Glacier is for data that tends to stay put.

The existing Pogoplug service provides everyday backup but in the event of a fire or catastrophe, it ensures that the company’s data is always updated on Glacier.

Stefan Reitshamer, founder of Arq, an online backup provider, told Webmonkey his company is looking into Glacier integration as well.

Amazon provides inexpensive infrastructure services that many companies use for storage and compute power. But increasingly third party service providers — like Appfog in the platform-as-a-service space — are aggregating Amazon services, bundling them with their own services, and then billing for the complete solution.

Don’t expect this to be the end of companies aggregating and billing for Glacier along with their own value-added services.

Feature photo courtesy Flickr user pfly

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Pogoplug pitches cheaper cloud storage alternative

Barb Darrow — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:00:21 +0000

Here’s the thing about cloud storage for business: It’s not as cheap as you think. Pogoplug says small and medium businesses can do better by using existing hardware and still get the sort of shared storage and file access that have made Dropbox such a great success in the consumer realm.

Cloud Engines’ Pogoplug Team software installs on an existing PC or file server running Mac, Linux or Windows — which then becomes a secure storage repository for team members and for outside customers and partners with access privileges.

Dan Putterman, CEO of Cloud Engines, said the service, which costs $15 per user per year also works out to be less expensive than mostof the cloud options. For five people sharing 2 TB of storage, for example,PogoPlug team works out to be $75 per year while Google — which charges $10 per employee per month ends up being $600 per year and Box, which lists for 15 per month per employee would be $900 per year. It is not clear, however, how many of these storage users are actually paying for their service.

“You carve out some storage space, John’s folder and then [once you verify that it is your file or folder] add users to whichever documents you want them to be able to access,” said Putterman. The software thus creates what Putterman calls an onsite cloud.

Internal file access runs at LAN speeds — an improvement over the latency that often comes with the cloud storage options that are popping up like mushrooms after rain. Most recently Google(goog) (finally) threw its hat into the ring with Google Drive, but business-focused options include Box and Egnyte which just signed a 25,000-seat deal with ad giant Young & Rubicam.

In addition, San Francisco-based Cloud Engines, which got its start providing remote file access for consumers will enable remote workers to access those same files. To expand capacity they can add more spinning disks or — tap into Pogoplug cloud, the company’s answer to Box,

“We want to give these companies the benefit of what has become table stakes for cloud storage–access to all your files, the ability to share those files with people outside the company ut with the added benefit of using on-premises storage.

Should the company use up its storage allotment, it can plop in a new drive — probobaly the most inexpensive option — or sign up for Pogoplug Cloud a for-real cloud storage service, the company said.

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PogoPlug Cloud targets Dropbox with hybrid storage

Kevin C. Tofel — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:00:03 +0000

PogoPlug continues to pivot from simple hardware for remote file access to true web storage. On Monday, the company announced the launch of PogoPlug Cloud, a hybrid content solution that combines both cloud storage like DropBox and a host of others, with local storage on a home computer.

Files stored online or on a PC are accessible through a browser or from a mobile app for devices running either Apple iOS or Google Android. This is the first time PogoPlug has shifted content storage to the cloud; previously, the company has sold hardware that makes it easy to remotely access files on a hard drive at home.

New users to PogoPlug Cloud gain 5 GB of online storage at no cost; 50 GB or 100 GB of additional storage is priced at $9.95 and $19.95, per month, respectively. That’s the same price as Dropbox, but PogoPlug Cloud is hoping to woo customers with the promise of “infinitely expandable” storage capacity for the new service. By purchasing PogoPlug hardware for $49 to $79, consumers can add their own storage amounts through USB-connected external drives. The full combination of local hard-drive storage and cloud storage then is available through PogoPlug Cloud.

It’s a smart and clever option as a way for PogoPlug to compete against other online storage services. While I haven’t used the new PogoPlug Cloud, I have used a PogoPlug device in the past and found it to be a simple way to add remote access to files and can be set up in a matter of minutes. Adding a new cloud component to the existing hardware simply makes sense for the company.

With the mobile apps, PogoPlug Cloud is focused on three mobile activities: storing, sharing and streaming. The first feature is obvious, allowing for offloading content from a smartphone or tablet. From a sharing perspective, any files in the PogoPlug Cloud can be sent to friends through Google +, Twitter, Facebook, or email, and shared folders are supported. Media can be streamed from the Cloud to a mobile device as well: Photos, movies and videos are all supported.

Tech savvy users are more likely to opt for a full cloud solution or create their own remote access via web-connected network storage drives. But for those who want a simple, plug-and-play storage and streaming solution that works with both cloud and local storage, PogoPlug Cloud could be appealing.

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PogoPlug Mobile streams content from home to phone

Kevin C. Tofel — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:00:30 +0000

Cloud Engines, creators of the original PogoPlug, launched a new mobile hardware product on Thursday that streams home media to smartphones and tablets. Dubbed the PogoPlug Mobile, the small $80 device stores videos, music and photos on removable memory cards. The concept is simple: Plug in the hardware at home and while on the road, securely access stored media on the go over mobile broadband with a handset or tablet running either Google Android or Apple iOS.

The PogoPlug Mobile hardware is small; close to but not quite as svelte as an Apple TV, so it won’t take up tons of space on a shelf at home. Instead of a set storage limit, Cloud Engines opted for SD memory cards, which are relatively inexpensive and offer limitless storage. A USB connection supports traditional external drives. Media can be shared with others and accessed over the web as well.

While the PogoPlug Mobile provides media streaming to both Google and Apple mobile devices, Android owners gain some additional benefits. In addition to remote media viewing, the hardware can automatically backup photos and movies taken by a smartphone or tablet in the background, which is handy.

The device is available for pre-ordering today and is expected to start shipping in October. There’s no monthly service fee, so it’s a pay-one-price up front solution. At $80, it’s essentially an impulse buy for those who want to beam their own media to their phone or tablet around the house or on the road.

Note that the PogoPlug Mobile isn’t focused on delivering pre-packaged media content, although you could theoretically rip DVDs to a memory card or store purchased movies. The main focus, however, is getting at your own photos, media and purchased music, which is in line with company’s “personal cloud” strategy. And it does this by removing the internal storage limitations of a mobile phone or tablet.

Obviously, there are many ways to remotely access content on a mobile device, so the PogoPlug Mobile isn’t breaking new ground in that regard. The appeal may be the simplicity of the solution because consumers don’t want to get involved with complicated setup processes; having setup the original PogoPlug in 2 minutes and 18 seconds, I think the company has ease of use covered. And the idea of unlimited storage through swappable memory cards could entice sales as well.

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Stream Video From Your Hard Drive With Pogoplug Video

Charles Hamilton — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:00:14 +0000

Now that tools for shooting and editing video are relatively simple and inexpensive, many of us use video extensively in our work for demonstrations, training and marketing. Pogoplug Video, announced today at CES, will allow you to make your videos available more easily.

The device will stream your HD video and images from your own external hard drive directly to multiple desktops and laptops, as well as to iPhones, iPads, Android, and other Internet-connected mobile devices. Video will also stream to UPnP Internet-connected TVs or set-top boxes.

According to the manufacturer, Cloud Engines, Pogoplug Video will stream media from many camcorders, video cameras and mobile phones, and users will be able to view files without the need to convert formats, or to upload files to a website like YouTube or Vimeo. The device will automatically stream video at the highest quality possible, and will support multiple streaming protocols. Pogoplug Video will be optimized to work with Sony’s AVCHD camera products.

Pogoplug Video will be the newest member of the Pogoplug device family, which we’ve talked about before. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but it appears to have a very similar form factor to the previous versions. As with the other Pogoplugs, the new version will include an Ethernet port for connecting to a network, four USB ports to connect multiple hard drives, and a power connector.

Pogoplug Video will retail for $199, and will be available for pre-order on March 1 from the device’s website. It will be available online and at retailers starting in April.

How do you use video in your work? Is a device like the Pogoplug Video something you’d like to use?

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Pogoplug Maker Cloud Engines Raises $15 Million

Ryan Kim — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:12:28 +0000

Cloud Engines, the company behind “personal cloud” Pogoplug, announced it has raised $15 million led by new investors Softbank Capital and Morgan Stanley Investment Partners along with existing investor Foundry Group. Cloud Engines said the new capital will go toward expanded global distribution of the Pogoplug service and devices.

Pogoplug is a small appliance that allows users to access their files remotely from their home storage. It also comes with a free online service that allows users to access and share their data online. It’s been popular with users who are able to turn any USB drive into an online storage locker.

Pogoplug has steadily added features over time including a recent update called Pogoplug Pro, a business version called Pogoplug Biz and web printing, enabling printers to connect to the Pogoplug and print from anywhere.

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Pogoplug Biz: Remote Access to Files On Your Own Hard Drives

Charles Hamilton — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:00:41 +0000

If you like the idea of having remote access to your files, but aren’t comfortable with cloud storage services, such as Egnyte or Dropbox, then Pogoplug Biz may be worth considering. The Pogoplug hardware allows users to connect up to four external hard drives directly to the Internet; more drives can be added with additional Pogoplugs. Data on the drives attached to the Pogoplugs can then be shared via an encrypted, HTTPS-enabled web interface.

The consumer version of Pogoplug has been around for a while, but now the manufacturer, Cloud Engines, Inc., is offering an updated version aimed at business customers. The company provided me with one to try.

Pogoplug Biz is a slightly oddly-shaped box, a bit smaller than most external hard drives. It includes a Gigabit Ethernet port for connecting to your network, plus three USB 2.0 ports on the back and one on the front. The curved extension allows for easier cable management.

Setup is simple: plug the box into power and into an Ethernet connection, then plug one or more external hard drives into the device via USB. It took a few minutes for the Pogoplug to find my drive, but a green light appeared on the device once the drive was connected. One then goes to an online activation system which detects the drive, or if automatic detection doesn’t work, you can enter the drive’s 26-character unique ID.

Pogoplug differentiates its service from cloud-based storage systems by emphasizing security. According to the manufacturer:

None of your personal data is stored in our servers other than your email address. All of the data on your drives attached to your Pogoplug remain only on your Pogoplug…While it is being accessed, the data may be forwarded through our servers, but no copies are retained during this process.

Of course, remote access speed will depend on the upload speed of your internet connection.

Both the original Pogoplug and the new version offer file sharing limited only by the size of the hard drive(s) you attach to the device, as well as simple setup, remote access, and remote printing. Pogoplug Biz adds the ability to create multiple users (each of whom can have their own space to store and share files); customize the service’s web interface; share some or all files as “view-only;” and track and audit who accesses files.

Pogoplug Biz also allows you to create custom email addresses, which lets people email files to your Pogoplug. You can create custom upload folders and give them each a unique email address to share with your clients.

Pogoplug offers free desktop apps for Windows, Mac, and Linux that activate what the manufacturer calls “Active Copy.” With this software, a user can specify certain folders that are automatically mirrored onto the external hard drive attached to the device, and then made available remotely. I tried the Mac version (2.1.2) of the software, which works, but is pretty rudimentary. It feels as though it were designed by someone who’s not a Mac programmer. It seems rather slow, and it doesn’t really run well in the background.

Pogoplug also offers a free iPhone and iPad app to allow remote access to one’s files. The app is nicely laid out, but I found the current version (2.3) impossible to use, as it crashes every time I try to go to certain screens. Others have reported similar problems, so don’t count on using this app until it’s been updated. There are also apps for BlackBerry, Android and Palm, which I haven’t tried.

The Pogoplug Biz retails for $299, which includes access to the web interface. The device is compatible with Windows XP, Vista and 7, Mac OS X 10.4 + (Intel and PowerPC), and Linux.

Do you have a Pogoplug? Let us know your comments on the device below.

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Apple Previews iOS 4.2, Still Syncs Like iPhone OS 1.0

Charles Jade — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:00:35 +0000

Reiterating much of the iOS presentation by Steve Jobs, a new web page adds a few details to what iOS 4.2 brings in November. As Steve Jobs said, “it’s all about iPad,” and that’s a shame because it should be about the cloud.

iOS 4.2′s major features include multitasking, folders, wireless printing, and AirPlay, the latter a renaming and expansion of AirTunes to include video. Of course, multitasking requires apps written for iOS 4, and can have the same drawbacks as on other iOS devices: performance and battery life. Folders are fine, and the enhancements to Mail, a unified inbox, threads, and opening attachments in third-party apps, will be great.

Minor improvements include Game Center, more language support for keyboards and dictionaries, accessibility enhancements, and improved security and remote management for enterprise. There’s also a welcome minor enhancement to Safari, allowing searching to “find and highlight specific words and phrases on large web pages.”

So why do I feel underwhelmed?

It’s because we now live in a world where millions of people have multiple iOS devices, and yet with few exceptions we still have to plug and unplug each device into a computer to synchronize data and programs. Subscribers to MobileMe can add, delete, and make changes to e-mail, contacts, bookmarks, calendars—but inexplicably not to do items—those changes populating to every device without even pressing a button, let alone using a cable.

For everything else, you have to plug one device after another into a computer, sync them, then maybe sync some of them again to get all changes to all devices. Even worse, some actions, like deleting podcasts, music, and video, have to be undertaken on the computer, lest they reappear on devices. Outside of iTunes, an ever-increasing number of applications require synchronization themselves, each of which has to be done over a local wireless network one at time.

While there have been alleged Magic 8-ball like e-mails from Steve Jobs promising wireless syncing “someday,” some of us hoped that day would be in November. Are we really going to have to wait until the middle of 2011 before Apple addresses such a fundamental issue as modern synchronization of devices? If so, one wonders where Google and Android will be on that feature then.

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Pogoplug Update Will Enable Cloud Printing

Simon Mackie — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:00:49 +0000

As if there weren’t enough reasons to buy CloudEngines’ Pogoplug — the little gadget that turns any USB drive into a personal storage locker accessible over the Internet — the company today announced a neat new feature: web printing. You’ll soon be able to connect a printer to the device and print from anywhere.

Initially the free web printing update (which will be pushed out to users later this summer) will support all HP printer models and all Epson printers released since 2005. Printers can also be shared with friends, family and colleagues through the Pogoplug.

The Pogolug update effectively enables you to get the kind of “web printing” functionality that HP recently announced for its new range of ePrint printers, without having to replace your existing printer.

This should be a very useful upgrade, and makes me wonder what other gadgets you could potentially interface with the Pogoplug to provide enhanced mobile productivity. You could conceivably use it to provide home automation, access your telephone, program your DVR, or control scanners and other items of equipment in your office, for example — anything that has a USB port could be programmed using it.

What would you like to connect to your Pogoplug?

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Pogoplug Updates Android App

Simon Mackie — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:00:14 +0000

The Pogoplug, a nifty little gadget that turns any USB drive into a personal storage locker accessible over the Internet, has received an update to its companion Android app. The new app includes several web worker-friendly features that should help to boost mobile productivity:

Save files created on your phone to your Pogoplug, and share files with others using the app.
Search for files across all of the drives connected to your Pogoplug.
Create folders on your Pogoplug drives using the the app.

Additionally, you can also use the app to stream music from the drives attached to your Pogoplug directly to your phone.

The Pogoplug 2.0 Android app is available for free from the Android marketplace today. The Pogoplug device itself retails for $129.

Let us know what you think of the Pogoplug 2.0 Android app in the comments.

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