Microsoft and SanDisk announced today that they are teaming up to work on a successor for the U3 technology which lets users run programs right off USB drives. The new offering will be designed so that users can carry their personal computing environment — including a customized and familiar user interface, applications and data — on a flash storage device such as a USB flash drive or flash memory card. This computing environment will be accessible on Windows XP- and Windows Vista™-based computers with a USB port or flash card reader. Users will be free to work on public or shared computers without fear of leaving personal information behind, and with confidence that their personal information will be encrypted, kept safer from malware, and otherwise protected through security provisions enabled by TrustedFlash technology.
Microsoft and SanDisk promise that they will offer a migration path to let U3 application developers update their applications to the new technology.
The new technology (yet unnamed) is expected to become available in the second half of 2008.