Pogoplug Biz is perhaps the lesser known of the Pogoplug family, but it's one of the most powerful and feature-rich devices in the crowd... specifically in the area of business use, of course! I'd like to spread the word and give a high level overview of what makes Pogoplug Biz different, and how it can fit into your professional life.

Note: In addition to the exclusive features, the Pogoplug Biz also includes most of the features of other Pogoplug, sans built-in WiFi. See this comparison chart for more details.

Custom UI Colors, Logo, and More

Let's say you're a professional creative, artist, or photographer, and you need a slickly laid out presentation for your clients to view your media--that's a perfect use for the Pogoplug Biz. Simply head to the settings section to tweak how the interface will look to you, your employees, and your clients.

The Biz makes it simple to change the following settings, as shown in the screen above:

• Site Title (will appear in the browser window)
• Custom Logo (to appear instead of the Pogoplug logo)
• The link to where clicking on the logo will lead
• Color of the main text
• Color of the main background
• Tiled background image (will override the color)
• Left sidebar background
• Media tabs shown/hidden
• Custom URL
• Custom Help Center

You also have the ability to select whether certain elements are shown, such as the FAQ in the help center, support ticket submission option, and so on.

To show the possibilities here, I've done a few simple tweaks, replacing the logo with my mugshot, changing some colors, and skinning the background with the first level of one of my favorite games.

Custom Email Settings

The Biz allows you to customize the email that is sent when items are shared, which comes in handy if you regularly share files with clients, colleagues, or partners.

Again, the Biz makes this a very simple task indeed. If you navigate to the Email Settings area, you'll see the screen above, in which you can replace the email that is sent out with one of your own. You can either use the built-in text editor, or if you're more comfortable with code, you can use HTML.

Here, I've shown the results of a simple re-configuration wth a custom logo (my avatar) and a customized message. By using the supplied tags (e.g., $uname$, $logo$, and so on) you can include various elements where you want them.

Multi-User Administration

Handy for those who manage multiple employees or a group of colleagues, multi-user administration in the Pogoplug Biz allows you to share different folders with different people. This can be used in a variety of ways:

• Keep private files, such as HR documents, away from employees
• Share different files with different employees
• Allow clients or partners to upload assets to your Pogoplug without giving them carte blanche access
• Give each employee their own private storage space

Adding users is a snap. Simply open the settings screen for Multi-User, and click "Add User." You'll be presented with the dialog box above. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to type the email address of the person you want to add in the box. Then, select which folders they will have full access to.

They'll receive an email like this one. You can then have them create an account if they don't already have one, and begin using the storage they have been assigned on your Pogoplug.

Share Statistics

Finally, the Biz allows you to view several usage statistics on shared files... useful if you have a slacker employee who likes to claim his emails got lost in the vortex.

When you navigate to your shared items, you'll see a "View Statistics" link. Click the link, and the essential facts will be laid out before you. Did Jim really not get the assignment you sent him? Or was he just streaming videos? Now you know.

Conclusions

I loved the additional features of the Pogoplug Biz, and found them incredibly simple to use and implement, with a minimal amount of steps to get changes up and running. The features are very useful, and frankly, pretty crucial if you plan on using the Biz in a professional environment with multiple employees or external sharing needs.

Learn more about the Biz, or find a great deal online and pick one up for yourself!