Working from home is a good way of catching up on important tasks, but it can be a pain if you don't have the usual information to hand. M-Systems' Xkey 2.0 Exchange Edition lets you use your Outlook email, calendar, contacts and folders away from your desk, and then synchronise the data with your company's Exchange Server from any computer with Internet access.

If you don't have Internet access you can simply work on the data held on the Xkey, and then automatically sync it with your office system the next time you go in. An internal ARM processor also makes sure all files stored on Xkey are securely encrypted, just in case you lose it.

Setup is painless. The drivers automatically load as soon as you connect the device and, once these are in, the Xkey software scans your computer for keyloggers or other spyware that might compromise the security of the system.

After this the Exchange interface pops up. The device uses the Outlook Web Interface in Exchange, but adds extra security, and you can view your email, calendar and contacts both online and offline.

Xkeys are available in sizes from 256MB to 1GB, and the amount of storage space used for Outlook data can be adjusted to allow the device to be used as a traditional removable disk.

Although quite expensive, Xkey is ideal if you need to work from home and don't have a work laptop. It makes sense for IT departments too, as it offers a secure way of remotely connecting to a company Exchange Server.

The device is available from a number of distributors, including Disgo, and we suggest you shop around to get the best price.

Price: 256MB £280.83 (£239 ex VAT); 512MB £327.82 (£279 ex VAT); 1GB £433.57 (£369 ex VAT)

Contact: M-Systems
www.m-systems.com
www.diskonkey.com

System requirements:

• Windows 2000 or XP, Internet Explorer 5.5 and Exchange Server 2000 or 2003 with Outlook web access enabled
• ARM-7 processor
• USB1.1/USB2
• Supermap cryptographic engine