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VSL Announcement: Moving to iLok Key / Cloud - We are live!

Ben

VSL
Dear Community,

We have some important announcements to make. You can read the post from our CEO, Herb Tucmandl, here in our forum: https://www.vsl.co.at/community/posts/t57384-Moving-from-eLicenser-to-iLok#post302591

Please note that the official discussion will happen at the VSL forum.

Here a copy of Herb Tucmandl's announcement:

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Hello Everyone,

It is my pleasure to announce that we’re starting to prepare the move to a new license management platform.

eLicenser has served us well during many years, but we’re also well aware of some limitations of the platform that we want to overcome for our customers and for us.

Thus we’re currently preparing the transition of all of our products to PACE’s iLok license management solution. This will take some time, but we’d like to let you know as early as possible that many new options in license handling will be available to our customers in the future, and that the entire process of purchasing and activating products will be streamlined and improved.

To make the entire migration as easy and hassle-free for our customers (and for us ;), here are a few key facts we’d like to share that early in the process:

• FREE TRANSITION: Moving your licenses from the eLicenser to the iLok platform will be free of charge for you.

• CHOICE OF KEY OR CLOUD: You will be able to choose if you’d like to store your VSL licenses on the iLok hardware key or in the iLok Cloud without using a hardware key.

• COMPATIBILITY: Under the iLok system, you will still be able to open existing projects as long as the eLicenser is connected. Once the project has been saved again, the eLicenser will no longer be required.

• CONTINUED SERVICE: You’ll be able to continue to use the ViennaKey/eLicenser USB key as well as the eLicenser Control Center for as long as it is working on your computers’ operating systems. Your licenses are safe and perpetual. Steinberg will keep the eLicenser license server available as long as possible, so you’ll be able to move licenses between eLicenser USB keys and will receive replacement licenses in case of damage, theft or loss of your eLicenser key (for free if you have a valid Vienna Protection Plan) well beyond the time when the iLok system is already available to you.
For every registered product in your VSL account, you will receive an iLok license. You will NOT be asked to return or delete any of your existing licenses on the eLicenser.

We’ll be able to provide more information later this year. Before you ask, at this time we don’t know when exactly we’ll be able to start moving licenses to the iLok platform, but you’ll be the first to know as we move along in the process.

What’s more, we’re now offering ViennaKeys at a substantial discount, and we’ll include a free €20 voucher with every ViennaKey order in our web shop.


Best wishes from Vienna,
Herb Tucmandl
CEO

--- additional information ---

Hello everybody,

I hope you are all enjoying summer (and of course winter, on the other side)!!

We are working on all the necessary steps that will make your future transition to iLok as comfortable as possible, and there are a few things we can already share with you!

More details and instructions will follow when the time has come.

VIENNA PROTECTION PLAN

Starting August 1st
, the Vienna Protection Plan will be reduced to a run-time of 1 year.
New price: €30

Also, the day we’re making the iLok License Management platform available for all of our users:

  • We will stop selling Vienna Protection Plans.
  • We will stop selling ViennaKeys.
YOUR TRANSITION to iLOK

As soon as you have registered your iLok account with us (we will let you know when this is possible):

  • Your iLok licenses will be delivered to your iLok account automatically.
  • Your original eLicenser licenses will remain on your account, but cannot be transferred to any other account.
TIP: This could be a good time to register with iLok, if you don’t have an account yet. It’s FREE!

GOOD TO KNOW

- iLok offers a Zero Downtime Coverage and a Theft & Loss Coverage, please find more details here!
- All future VSL software will be available with iLok protection only.
- There will be new sample content and software versions available for you to download. An advanced Download Manager will make this a breeze.
- You will have to decide whether you’d like to work with iLok or eLicenser for each Vienna Software product. Our recommendation: Perform a complete transition of all your products right away.
- The following products will NOT be available on iLok: Vienna Ensemble Pro 3/4/5/6, Numerical Sound FORTI/SERTI and ISP:IR (discontinued in 2014).

So the only immediate change affects the Vienna Protection Plan, but we hope that this additional information will help you prepare for the changes in your system.

IMPORTANT: You will have enough time for the transition to iLok and of course our excellent support team will be there to help with all your questions!

All the best from Vienna,

Paul
 
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• COMPATIBILITY: Under the iLok system, you will still be able to open existing projects as long as the eLicenser is connected. Once the project has been saved again, the eLicenser will no longer be required.
Does it mean we have only 2 choices :
  • open and resave all our existing projects, which can be very very long if we have dozens (or if like me we have Kontakt instruments and we have moved some libraries paths, then it takes ages to say to Kontakt where the samples are for each instrument)
  • keep an eLicenser for our entire life (and buy one regularly by security) or until the eLicenser doesn't exist anymore ?
Not appealing at all... Almost unacceptable !
 
Based. I never liked that dinky little Steinberg key - thing feels like it would break if I looked at it for too long. Much prefer Ilok.
 
Does it mean we have only 2 choices :
  • open and resave all our existing projects, which can be very very long if we have dozens (or if like me we have Kontakt instruments and we have moved some libraries paths, then it takes ages to say to Kontakt where the samples are for each instrument)
  • keep an eLicenser for our entire life (and buy one regularly by security) or until the eLicenser doesn't exist anymore ?
Not appealing at all... Almost unacceptable !
I didn't read it like that at all.
I agree its a little unclear - but I'm sure more info will be forth coming. I can't believe VSL wouldn't have workable solutions. Check their forum - there'll be way more info there than here.
 
Does it mean we have only 2 choices :
  • open and resave all our existing projects, which can be very very long if we have dozens (or if like me we have Kontakt instruments and we have moved some libraries paths, then it takes ages to say to Kontakt where the samples are for each instrument)
  • keep an eLicenser for our entire life (and buy one regularly by security) or until the eLicenser doesn't exist anymore ?
Not appealing at all... Almost unacceptable !
Please understand that I cannot talk about any details yet, but we are aware of this potential invonvenience and are already contemplating possible solutions. Too early in the process yet, but we won’t leave you hanging.
 
From the iLok site:

What is the iLok Cloud?
The iLok Cloud allows iLok Cloud-enabled software to be authorized without the use of an iLok USB or a machine license. This feature requires that the computer be continuously connected to the internet during use.

Hmm, "continuously connected", is that improvement?
 
Very nice! This would settle the whole insurance issue. I'm using an iLok dongle now, but I could easily transfer my licences into the cloud as my internet is working fine > 99,9% of the time.

I sure do hope this won't introduce any sound artifacts when the internet is slow for a second. Does anyone have experience with iLok in the cloud and DAW performance?
 
I sure do hope this won't introduce any sound artifacts when the internet is slow for a second. Does anyone have expierence with iLok in the cloud and DAW performance?
Don't worry, this should work just fine - but we will definitly check these scenarious with our software to make sure you will have a smooth experience!
 
Very nice! This would settle the whole insurance issue. I'm using an iLok dongle now, but I could easily transfer my licences into the cloud as my internet is working fine > 99,9% of the time.

I sure do hope this won't introduce any sound artifacts when the internet is slow for a second. Does anyone have experience with iLok in the cloud and DAW performance?
as far as I know the iLok Cloud only checks your license when you open your Project/DAW, when checked you can go off-line. This way it used to be, but I don't know today, I use a physical dongle now...
 
While iLok Cloud sounds great, in that you don't need the archaic physical usb, the outages are a huge problem.

There was one one the Europe servers a few days ago, and once every minute, iLok cloud sends multiple notifactions at a time to say it has disconnected, that take focus of my screen making the entire DAW useless. I can't even use another app because it keeps trying to take focus until I quit the program. They've been happening quite a lot recently.
 
From the iLok site:

What is the iLok Cloud?
The iLok Cloud allows iLok Cloud-enabled software to be authorized without the use of an iLok USB or a machine license. This feature requires that the computer be continuously connected to the internet during use.

Hmm, "continuously connected", is that improvement?
I am using iLok Cloud for my Seventh Heaven License. Yes, this means that you need internet access (at least when you open the project) but I have had some moments when my internet connection would fail and I could still work for some time (I cannot say exactly for how long because I am not always noticing connection problems immediately when I am working in my DAW).

On great advantage with iLok Cloud is that you don't need any dongles and you won't lose your licenses because your dongle or PC breaks (if your PC breaks you will have issues with machine based licenses). So also no need for any insurance or somthing like that. Obviously, I still prefer solutions that don't use dongles or iLok (e.g. NI or Spitfire stuff) but I also understand that companies want/need to protect their products ...
 
I am using iLok Cloud for my Seventh Heaven License. Yes, this means that you need internet access (at least when you open the project) but I have had some moments when my internet connection would fail and I could still work for some time (I cannot say exactly for how long because I am not always noticing connection problems immediately when I am working in my DAW).

On great advantage with iLok Cloud is that you don't need any dongles and you won't lose your licenses because your dongle or PC breaks (if your PC breaks you will have issues with machine based licenses). So also no need for any insurance or somthing like that. Obviously, I still prefer solutions that don't use dongles or iLok (e.g. NI or Spitfire stuff) but I also understand that companies want/need to protect their products ...
If that means only checking once a day, I think it's okayish. But 'continuously connected' suggests otherwise but maybe VSL can choose out of different 'check schemes'.
 
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