One solution to the "required internet connection"
Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 8:44 pm
It is my hope that you can strike a safe ground between protecting your IP, and showing trust and good faith in your customers. When you are a start up company, often word of mouth is the only true advertising you have. Currently, how the change to have all future releases require an internet connection at all times was implemented and went under to radar for those who had already paid was a PR blunder to put it lightly. Not off to a good start!
That said, it is abundantly clear that there is no going back. You guys want this feature on your software, and so there you have it. That said, you might want to find a way to allow people to use it either without an internet connection or AT LEAST give them a "panic" option that allows them to use the program for X amount of hours while they resolve the issue with their connection.
Personally, I have had times when my internet connection has gone down, while working on a project, for up to TWO DAYS. I did have to shuttle around town to upload my files and for certain correspondence, but my mental ray license kept on rendering away just fine while I looked for a solution. If I were depending on your solution what would I have done? That could have cost me 6k and a client in that instance.
Two days is a bit much to go with out a connection, and not the norm. However, at least 10 times a year, I lose a connection for 1-3hrs. Sometimes those hours are critical as a project is coming to a close. Having the option to continue using the program for a short time in that instance would be VERY HELPFUL.
Otherwise quite a few people are going to love your feature set...but look at the other dollars and cents part of the equation and not be so enamored with your technology (which is amazing). Can't you find a licensing system that is as amazing as your render tech?
That said, it is abundantly clear that there is no going back. You guys want this feature on your software, and so there you have it. That said, you might want to find a way to allow people to use it either without an internet connection or AT LEAST give them a "panic" option that allows them to use the program for X amount of hours while they resolve the issue with their connection.
Personally, I have had times when my internet connection has gone down, while working on a project, for up to TWO DAYS. I did have to shuttle around town to upload my files and for certain correspondence, but my mental ray license kept on rendering away just fine while I looked for a solution. If I were depending on your solution what would I have done? That could have cost me 6k and a client in that instance.
Two days is a bit much to go with out a connection, and not the norm. However, at least 10 times a year, I lose a connection for 1-3hrs. Sometimes those hours are critical as a project is coming to a close. Having the option to continue using the program for a short time in that instance would be VERY HELPFUL.
Otherwise quite a few people are going to love your feature set...but look at the other dollars and cents part of the equation and not be so enamored with your technology (which is amazing). Can't you find a licensing system that is as amazing as your render tech?