Review: Mobiu portable office

Mobiu is a service that lets workers store information on the web and access it securely from any internet-connected Windows PC. Access is controlled by a USB key that contains a complete desktop environment and does not leave any trace of your data behind on the system used.

Available since late 2008, Mobiu provides an online storage space that enables users to back up files or folders, such as the contents of My Documents, to their own MobiVault. Additionally, users can create one or more MobiRooms, workspaces where documents can be shared with colleagues or other trusted Mobiu users.

The idea behind Mobiu is that users can access their files from anywhere without having to carry a laptop or even have the files on their person, preventing accidental disclosure through the loss of a laptop or removable storage device.

However, while the service may appeal to business users thanks to its greater security, consumers are likely to be put off by the price, especially when web-based services such as Microsoft's Windows Live SkyDrive are available for free.

To access Mobiu, users need a key. This looks like an ordinary USB Flash drive, but uses chip-and-PIN technology for two-factor authentication. To this end, a smart card identical to a mobile phone SIM is fitted into a covered slot in the end of the key.

The key itself has space for up to 1GB of files, but unlike a normal Flash drive, these can only be accessed via the Mobiu software.

On the target computer, the user inserts the key just like a standard USB Flash drive, after which the Mobiu client automatically starts up. The software is protected by a four-digit PIN, similar to when you withdraw money using a bank card in an ATM. Users can change their PIN at any time using the Mobiu software.

But these security measures may not be sufficient in a product likely to be used on public access computers, which may potentially be infected with malware. Mobiu provides no countermeasures to defeat keystroke logging, for example, although it does have an on-screen keypad for entering the user PIN.

Once the correct PIN is entered, the Mobiu key establishes a secure internet connection with Mobiu's online service and opens the Mobiu Desktop environment.

The Mobiu Desktop is divided up into a main workspace, with a column to the left providing links to a user's MobiVault and other options, such as the MobiManager. The latter is a file manager tool that lets users copy, delete or move files from the host PC, the MobiVault, any available MobiRooms or the Mobiu key itself.

When sitting at their own PC, users can back up their selected files to their online vault at any time by choosing 'Backup to MobiVault'. By default, this will copy everything in the My Documents folder and the Windows desktop, while other folders can be included by choosing Advanced Settings.

In our tests, we chose to back up the My Documents folder from our office PC, and found it took longer than we expected – about five minutes – despite the fact it contained only about 10MB of files at the time. Mobiu warns that the initial backup may take several hours depending upon the amount of data and the available bandwidth.

We also found that while a later backup copied new files in My Documents to the online MobiVault, it did not remove files that had been deleted from My Documents in the intervening period.

Users will therefore have to be mindful of how much data they are copying to their vault, as they could easily end up filling with files that are no longer needed. Selecting 'MobiRoom Settings' from an Options menu at the top of the screen shows MobiRoom and MobiVault storage utilisation.

So far, Mobiu sounds little different from other online storage services such as IDrive or SkyDrive. However, the Mobiu key also contains a handful of applications that enable the user to work even if they find themselves sitting at a PC without Microsoft Office installed, for example.

The built-in applications consist of a portable version of the FireFox browser, plus SoftMaker's SoftMaker Office 2008, which provides a word processor, spreadsheet and presentations tool, all capable of viewing and editing Microsoft Office file formats. There is also a PDF viewer and ZIP tool.

The beauty of this arrangement is that the user can choose to pull down a document from their MobiVault or a MobiRoom onto the Mobiu key and edit it there, without the file even touching the hard drive of the computer in use. After editing, the file can be kept on the Mobiu key, or copied back to the MobiVault.

Likewise, the built-in browser means that users can surf the web without leaving any history, cookies or cached data on the system being used, as this is also stored on the Mobiu key.

To share documents, users can create an online MobiRoom and then copy the relevant documents into it. Access is granted by issuing an invite to another Mobiu user via the Mobiu Desktop. This requires that you know their personal Mobiu number; your own number can be read from the Settings menu. Only the person that created a MobiRoom can grant access to others.

If a user loses their Mobiu key, the supplier can disable it and provide a new key within 48 hours, at a cost of £90. Customers can alternatively buy insurance to cover this for £20 per year.

Mobiu runs on PCs with Windows XP and 32bit Windows Vista. The purchase price starts at £150, which includes a year's subscription and up to 5GB storage space. A further year's subscription costs £125. Customers can also purchase additional storage up to 3 terabytes.