On January 28, 2009, Shawn Shellenbarger (CEO of Maximum Software) was kind enough to share his experience with Plimloc copy protection on a webinar.  The session created all sorts of questions, and we're posting them here.

If you have any additional questions, comments or thoughts, post away!

Q: One slide said Maximum Software increased sales by 18%...how did Plimloc help them do that?

A: Maximum Software lost thousands of sales because their previous licensing solutions did not provide the proper protection. Our data confirms that after switching to Plimloc those users who were getting a free ride eventually paid up resulting in an increase of 18% in overall sales.

Q: 70,000 license checks (mentioned on one slide) was for which period?

A: Immediately after switching to Plimloc, there were 70,000 attempts within a 6 month time period. Not one unauthorized user has unlocked Bug Doctor since Maximum Software switched to Plimloc.

Q: How did Plimloc help reduce Maximum Software’s support issues and costs?

A: By using Plimloc, Maximum Software did not need to support the numerous licensing and activation issues they had with other licensing solutions which greatly reduced the amount of helpdesk calls and disgruntled customers.

Q: How did Maximum Software identify piracy and lost sales?

A: Plimloc’s comprehensive Reporting and Analytics tool provides detailed License Analysis that tracks how keys are being used/abused, activation trends, and trial conversion rates. These reports also show which features their customers are using the most/least and what the hardware make-up looks like for their user base. Using this information, Maximum Software can make their product offerings more competitive while decreasing their support and development costs.

Q: How easy is the wrapper to use?

A: Implementing Plimloc is actually done via a SDK (software development kit) which provides superior protection and security compared to a “wrapper”. The SDK implementation is straightforward and with technical knowledge, can be integrated as easy as wrappers. Also, the SDK will give you access to our Reporting and Analytics tool for license analysis, feature usage, and hardware profiling unlike a wrapper integration.

Q: How long does it take to implement Plimloc?

A: It really depends on how complex your licensing models are and how secure you want the application to be. It can take as little as a couple of hours and as much as several days.

Q: Do you support floating or network licensing?

A: We can deliver quantity licenses to a server application which can then manage the attached clients but we do not provide an on-premises license server.

Q: Do you support the licensing of various modules within a product (e.g. offer a "light" version with minimal features and a "pro" version that is fully functional)?

A: Yes, Plimloc offers Feature Unlocking which allows different levels of an application (e.g., Standard, Professional, and Enterprise each with different features). These versions can be sold separately or you can prompt the user to upgrade within the application.

Q: Once a key is applied and the computer goes into the field (e.g. laptop at a remote site) with no internet access will the purchased application still work?

A: Yes, the license key is activated upon installation of the software and stored locally. We provide several options for online validation including one in which the license is checked if and only if there is connectivity to the server.

Q: Does Plimloc work on a disconnected environment where the computer using the software does not have access to the internet.

A: Plimloc supports a couple of offline activation models but if the majority of the devices don’t have access then the Plimloc eCommerce and activation model probably isn’t the best fit for you.

Q: What customer information is the unlock code tied to? I'm wondering about converting existing licenses to Plimloc and am curious if I have the necessary information.

A: The serial number (unlock code) is generally associated with a transaction (e.g., eCommerce purchase) but it can be anything you like, even an email address.

Q: Can you generate license keys manually for off-line sales (i.e. not through Plimus)?

A: Yes, we can generate batches of license keys based off of specific license rules that can then be distributed through different sales channels. However, you will not get the advantages of the tight integration which lets you automatically update subscriptions and revoke licenses for charge-backs.
 

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