The Transporter: Local Backup for Small Firms

The Transporter is similar to a cloud-based storage system in that it will sync your devices and allow you to access what you need when you need it. The major difference between the Transporter and a cloud-based provider like Dropbox is that you won’t pay a monthly subscription for Transporter. Instead you’d buy the device outright.
Buying the device outright has pros and cons. The pro is that you won’t have to worry about yet another monthly payment. The con is that all devices have a shelf life. If you use the Transporter as your only means of storing important files, what happens when it no longer works?

If you like the idea of the Transporter, you have two options: Transporter and Transporter Sync. Transporter can be purchased with or without an internal hard drive (price varies accordingly). It features a USB port for a wireless adapter should you want to go wireless. Transporter is larger and has more options than the Sync. The Sync, which in size and shape looks like a hockey puck, is priced at $99. The Sync uses an external hard drive for storage and sync and must be attached to a network via an Ethernet cable.

Setting up the Transporter units is pretty simple, though of course Rekall can help with that process. Once setup, either device can be used to share files by essentially copying and pasting a link to a file stored on the device. On the recipient’s end, they will have to do a little manual labor in order to view your shared file, but it’s nothing very complicated.

If a monthly cloud service isn’t something you want to invest in, Transporter might prove to be a good solution for your firm, but don’t forget about the shelf life issue.