What this means for Genese users and which alternatives truly make sense
For many years, the USB flash drive was the symbol of “taking data with you easily”. Plug it in, copy, done. In law firms and IP departments, it was more than a technical tool. It was an organizational pressure valve. Whenever something had to be taken out of the system quickly, whenever documents needed to be physically “at hand” for a meeting, or whenever work had to continue on the road without a network connection, the USB stick was the obvious answer.
That role is now increasingly under pressure. Not because the idea of portable storage has disappeared, but because the surrounding conditions have changed.
PC-WELT describes this trend very clearly: USB flash drives are losing relevance in everyday use. Reasons include the limited storage capacity of typical models, the gradual shift from USB-A to USB-C, and the fact that alternatives such as SSDs, SD cards, and cloud services offer objectively better technical and organizational solutions in many scenarios.
For us at Genese, the question is therefore not “USB stick or not?”, but rather:
Which transport and working mode fits the file, the mandate process, and the customer’s IT reality?
One thing remains undeniable: the need to temporarily detach file contents from a central system still exists. What has changed significantly are the media used and the quality requirements placed on them.
Why the USB flash drive is no longer the default – and why this matters for IP workflows
The classic strength of the USB stick was its simplicity. Today, that same simplicity has become a problem in many environments. PC-WELT points out that common market capacities of 256 to 512 GB quickly become a limiting factor when dealing with larger data volumes.
At first glance, this may sound like a consumer issue, but in IP environments it is surprisingly relevant. As files are increasingly managed entirely digitally, we are no longer talking about a handful of PDFs. Instead, we deal with structured file families containing attachments, Office documents, images, extensive research materials, email exports, and, depending on the client, large sets of R&D or product documentation.
Modern proceedings also tend to involve data packages consisting of many individual documents. This is precisely where the weaknesses of low-cost flash controllers and memory chips become apparent. Not when reading individual files, but when writing many files, repeatedly updating them, and moving data back and forth over weeks.
PC-WELT also notes that while very large USB sticks do exist, even reaching terabyte sizes, they are often surpassed by SSD solutions in both price and technology. SSDs typically offer more powerful flash chips, higher transfer rates, and a longer service life.
For Genese users, this matters in two ways. First, the USB stick increasingly becomes a disposable medium that introduces too many uncertainties when used as a primary working basis in critical mandate contexts. Second, SSDs enable portable working models that come much closer to the expectation of “reliable offline work” without forcing users into complex IT routines.
Another important factor is connectivity. PC-WELT highlights that USB-A is becoming less common on modern devices, while USB-C is emerging as the dominant standard. The idea of a “stick that fits everywhere” no longer holds true. Dual-interface sticks may look like a solution, but in practice they are often technical compromises, especially when writing large amounts of data.
For file-based work, this is critical. Reading is rarely the bottleneck. Writing and incremental updates are.
In summary: USB flash drives remain useful for special cases, but as a daily working solution they are increasingly being replaced by SSDs, SD cards, and cloud services.
The Genese perspective: the USB stick was never the product – only a transport channel
From a Genese system administrator’s point of view, it helps to decouple the discussion. Genese is the leading system of record for the file. The USB stick has always been just a transport channel.
Exporting a file or file family for external work has long been possible, whether at a client’s premises, in external meetings, or in situations where access to the central system is not possible or not desired. This working model is not exotic in IP practice. Clients provide comments, revise attachments, add technical descriptions, or annotate drafts. Not every organization allows direct system access or wants to establish cloud workflows immediately.
The USB stick was attractive because it functioned like a physical envelope. Put the contents in, hand it over, get it back. Its weakness does not lie in the concept itself, but in the lack of process reliability once a one-time handover turns into ongoing collaboration.
Questions inevitably arise: Which documents were changed? Which version is binding? Which file belongs to which part of the case? How do we avoid parallel work in the back office that leads to conflicting versions?
This is where the next logical step becomes interesting: intelligent comparison and re-import. The ability to automatically recognize what is new, what has changed, and what should be updated in Genese addresses the real pain point. The issue is not transport, but controlled reintegration.
SSD instead of stick: “files to go” without a cultural break – and with far better technology
PC-WELT describes external drives, especially SSDs, as one of the most popular alternatives. They offer more storage, higher transfer speeds, greater robustness, and often a very compelling price-to-capacity ratio.
For Genese, this transition is almost seamless. User expectations remain the same:
“I take the file with me and work offline.”
With an SSD, the same logic applies as with a USB stick, but on a medium designed for sustained write operations and large data volumes. This is where the “file to go” concept shows its strength. The file becomes a clearly defined, portable working set. Users receive an offline working environment independent of network quality, VPNs, or unreliable hotel Wi-Fi.
Organizationally, switching from USB sticks to SSDs is attractive because it does not force a major behavioral change. Users do not need to relearn workflows. They simply use a different medium. The processes stay the same, risks decrease, and performance improves. Crucially, one key advantage remains fully intact: offline work without internet access, whether on a train, on a plane, in restricted networks, or in places where working without VPNs and remote desktops is simply preferable.
SSDs do not automatically solve governance issues. They do not answer the question of how changes flow back cleanly. But they significantly reduce technical friction: fewer interruptions, fewer waiting times, fewer unpleasant surprises caused by cheap controllers. Anyone who has seen a low-cost USB stick collapse under the load of many small files understands why robust media are not a “nice to have” but a quality requirement in professional workflows.
SD cards: small and fast – but a niche from a Genese perspective
PC-WELT mentions SD and microSD cards as compact alternatives, widely used in cameras, drones, and mobile devices. Combined with USB-C card readers, they can function as miniature storage devices. At the same time, the article points out the confusing range of specifications and notes that SD cards, while flexible and often inexpensive per gigabyte, are also more prone to loss or damage and typically require a card reader on desktop systems.
For typical Genese use cases, SD cards are therefore more of a complement than a replacement. They make sense when clients already rely on SD-based workflows, for example in photo or video documentation. As a primary medium for transporting complete files or file families, however, they are often too fragile. In environments where files pass through many hands, “very small” unfortunately also means “very easy to lose”.
Used consciously, SD cards can serve as a specialized medium. Small, discreet, fast enough, but only with clear rules for labeling, securing, transporting, and collecting them again. For everyday professional file work, SSDs are usually the more robust equivalent of the classic USB stick.
Cloud services: the technical standard and an organizational lever for Genese
PC-WELT describes cloud services as the most modern alternative to physical storage media. Online storage allows access from anywhere and eliminates the need for physical transport. Key advantages include location-independent access, easy sharing, collaboration, and automatic synchronization. Downsides include dependence on a stable internet connection, limited free storage, and questions around data protection and encryption.
In the Genese context, the cloud is no longer a future vision. In many environments, it is already standard practice. Two drivers stand out. The first is technical: improved bandwidth in offices, home offices, and mobile networks has made direct access significantly more comfortable. The second driver is organizational and often more decisive: when data resides in one place, coordination effort decreases noticeably. Back offices no longer work “after the fact”, but in parallel. Everyone sees the same documents, the same status, the same history.
This is particularly relevant in IP workflows, where a case file is rarely a single document. It is a living bundle of deadlines, correspondence, drafts, attachments, research results, and decisions. Once this bundle is distributed across multiple offline copies, process complexity increases dramatically. Cloud approaches reduce this complexity by making collaboration the default rather than the exception.
In practice, this approach can be implemented most cleanly with GWeb Workspace. Its key advantage is not “the cloud itself”, but how closely it aligns with real-world work. For many users, working in GWeb Workspace feels very similar to working directly in Genese, with familiar file structures and a consistent logic. This proximity lowers barriers for clients and external stakeholders and allows cloud collaboration to scale from small, clearly defined use cases to broader collaborative scenarios.
This does not mean that cloud solutions are always the right answer. PC-WELT rightly points out the dependency on internet access. This is precisely why offline options will not disappear in Genese practice, whether for working on trains, in restricted networks, or in situations where users deliberately choose to work offline. However, wherever collaboration, transparency, and process reliability are priorities, the cloud clearly shows its strengths.
From an administrative perspective, another advantage becomes apparent over time. Support and IT governance become simpler. Physical storage media can be lost, copied unnoticed, or fall into the wrong hands. Cloud workflows, by contrast, allow centralized control through permissions, logging, consistent storage, and defined responsibilities. This is not merely a technical issue, but one of operational security, which is why cloud-based collaboration, especially via a Genese-aligned approach like GWeb Workspace, is becoming the preferred choice for more and more scenarios.
A sensible middle ground: the USB stick remains – but only for special cases
PC-WELT’s conclusion aligns well with the Genese perspective. USB sticks are not “dead”, but they are increasingly limited to special cases such as simple data transfers, firmware updates, or boot media. As a daily working solution, they are being overtaken by modern alternatives that offer better performance, flexibility, and often a superior price-to-value ratio.
Translated into Genese practice, this means that USB sticks remain acceptable when a file or file family is exported once for controlled external processing, for example in workshops, audits, or compliance-driven environments where cloud access is not permitted. In such cases, the stick works as a temporary transport medium, provided reintegration into Genese is structured and deliberate.
As soon as a one-off case turns into a recurring process, professional practice calls for at least one step further. Either towards SSDs as robust offline media that stabilize the “files to go” approach, or towards cloud-based collaboration when organizational conditions allow. And wherever external edits must be brought back into the system, the next logical step should already be considered: intelligent comparison and import to ensure changes are reintegrated efficiently and transparently.
Practical guidance for Genese users: decide by working mode, not by medium
If the goal is offline productivity, SSDs are the natural successor to USB sticks. The usage pattern remains the same, while performance, robustness, and capacity improve significantly.
If the goal is collaborative work with transparency and fewer parallel versions, cloud workflows are hard to avoid. Bandwidth and availability increasingly make direct access practical, while organizational benefits emerge from having a single, shared data set.
If the goal is compact, device-integrated storage, such as media-heavy documentation, SD cards can make sense as a specialized solution with clear rules.
And if the goal is simply a quick handover, USB sticks remain legitimate, but they should no longer be the default, only a consciously chosen tool for specific situations.
Final thought: the file remains – transport becomes more professional
The USB stick earned its place in the IP world not because it was technically brilliant, but because it filled a gap between centralized case management and external collaboration. Today, other technologies close that gap more effectively. SSDs professionalize offline work, cloud solutions structure collaboration, and SD cards serve niche requirements where size and device integration matter most.
For Genese, this evolution is good news. As transport channels change, the core remains stable. Files and file families can still be exported, worked on externally, and, increasingly, reintegrated through intelligent comparison mechanisms. This is not the end of a medium, but the next stage of maturity in professional work practices, technically stronger, organizationally clearer, and ultimately less error-prone for everyone involved.
Oliver Otto, Genese.de GmbH
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