SanDisk Memory Vault imageSanDisk admits it faces a challenge in persuading photographers to switch to Memory Vault, a ?long-term? storage device claimed to be more reliable than other media, but at a price.

The Memory Vault – which plugs into a USB port and uses a drag-and-drop file transfer system ? will, claims SanDisk, preserve photo and video files in their original quality for up to 100 years.

The portable device boasts a ?sleek, ruggedized? design, ?zinc metallic coating? and is out in the UK in two versions: an 8GB one priced £49.99; and a 16GB costing £79.99.

It measures 80.6×47.36×11.08mm and weighs around 83g.

?The Memory Vault provides consumers with a convenient, reliable way to pass down their images for generations to come ? a photo album for the digital age,? claimed the firm at a UK press briefing in central London last night.

?Hard drives contain moving parts and CDs can scratch,? asserts SanDisk.

And the firm points to the ?unknown? life-expectancy of archiving photos using online ?cloud?-based storage, citing the need to remember a password, as well as access to an internet connection.

However, speaking to Amateur Photographer, SanDisk?s senior marketing manager Gerry Edwards admitted that the company has some work to do in relaying the benefits to the market, given the cheaper alternative storage devices available such as USB sticks and DVDs.

SanDisk’s new device aims to allow consumers to ?consolidate family photos in one reliable location and quickly access their important images when they need them… The Memory Vault delivers the long-term reliability that valuable photos deserve’.

SanDisk claims it will ?allow parents to preserve photos of their daughter?s first steps alongside videos from her wedding and then pass those images down for generations to come?.