Dongle

The dongle looks like a USB key, but... no, it's not! The dongle is a software security device.
It contains the license key for your software, enabling you to use it in "extended" mode. So you need to have it with you at all times for timing purposes.
In the event of a problem on your main computer, the dongle can be moved to another computer with the correct settings. It will then unlock the software on your backup computer.

Knowledge base article, example with SkiAlp-Pro :
> https://vola.fr/fr/timing/kb/article/27-dongle+de+protection