Kingston Technology Co., the largest independent supplier of memory and flash products, said on Tuesday it had begun shipments of Kingston DataTraveler Workspace USB flash drive certified for Windows To Go, a key feature of Windows 8 Enterprise, thus allowing users to boot and operate Windows 8 from portable devices.

Kingston DataTraveler Workspace USB will be available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB (build to order) capacities and will be able to provide maximum sequential read/write speeds of 250/250MB/s amid sustained random 4K read/write 3750/9800 IOPS. The flash drive utilizes USB 3.0 interface, but is backwards compatible with USB 2.0. The drive supports BitLocker for data encryption and Trusted Boot for protecting boot process and anti-malware software.

DataTraveler Workspace is made specifically for organizations that want to use the new Windows To Go feature found in Windows 8 Enterprise. The drive is designed to help IT administrators support their mobile user base – from remote employees to contractors and consultants. DataTraveler Workspace helps companies and organizations meet both bring your own device (BYOD) initiatives and disaster recovery requirements.

“Over the past year, we have worked diligently with Microsoft to develop a USB flash drive that met the requirements of Windows To Go, as well as provide the performance, flexibility and durability that our customers know us for. We will continue to deliver innovations as the marketplace evolves and are delighted to be one of the select manufacturers to deliver a certified for Windows To Go USB Flash drive,” said Andrew Ewing, flash memory business manager at Kingston.

Pricing of the drives has not been announced.

Tags: Kingston, DataTraveler, DataTraveler Workspace, USB, Windows To Go, Windows 8, Microsoft, Windows