Re: Getting Fed Up With MapSource Unlock

Stephen Brown wrote:
On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 17:09:35 -0700, kashe vigorously opined:
It's trivial -- a Simple Matter of Programming (tm). I've used
software on a PC which is locked to a license, but can be transferred
among machines. At installation time, you are given what is called a
request key. You transmit the request key and license number to the
vendor. In return, you get a response key, which is entered into the
software. If you want to move the software to another machine, you ask
it for a revoke key, which disables the software on that machine. You
send the revoke key to the vendor, who records the license available
for reinstallation.

When you install on a new machine, a new request key is
generated by the installer. Send it to the vendor and receive a new
response key to enter to activate the sofware on the new machine.

It's a very fast turnaround process, done by fax, email or on
the phone.

I'd think it would best be handled on the vendor's website to provide
immediate interaction while still being fully automated. Phone/email
could be provided as backup for customers who don't have convenient web
access.

For maximum availability, it can be done in a single short
call. You install the software on the new machine, call the vendor,
generate the revoke key on the old machine, read it to the customer
rep and read him the request key generated on the new machine. He
enters the revoke key to free up the license, then enters the new
request key and reads you back the new response key, still associated
with the same license. You're back in business in no time at all.

This take care of the legitimate needs of both vendor and
customer, as only a small cost to convenience. It would also allow for
the situation where a user could choose to sell the old unit either
with the unlock codes for the buyer to use or with the codes revoked
so the buyer copuld make his own arrangement with Garmin while the
seller continued to make use od his original unlock codes on a new
unit.

If you can send an unlocked unit to Garmin for repair and they
elect to replace it with a unit with a different serial, but still
allow you to make use of your purchased, unlocked maps, this would
show that all the serial-number/unlock-code shuffling is technically
feasible and it is solely a matter of policy/contract between Garmin
and NAVTEQ.

I like this repsonse. I think it is one of the best I've seen so far.

It would be an improvement in some circumstances and may or may not be
acceptable to NavTeq from a security standpoint. But I'd note that it
would be of no benefit to customers in your situation who sell their
old receivers and only afterwards check on the rules regarding reuse of
the software on a new purchase. Nor would it be of any use to two
other groups mentioned before in the thread: those who either lose
their receiver or have it stolen.

peter wrote:
But since they currently have the best auto-routing map available.
data they are able to dictate such restrictive terms in their
contractual arrangements with Garmin/Magellan/etc.

As to NAVTEQ having the best auto-routing map data (on the market), I
disagree.

Go ahead, but I note that you don't name anyone who has anything that's
better overall. Although there are some competitors, NavTeq appears to
get the lion's share of the business from the makers of the premium
automotive navigation systems. Note that I'm not saying they're perfect
or even particularly good - just that they're the best.

There are numerous newer roadways in my local and surrounding
area that are not in the current releases of NACS, v6, presumably because
the NAVTEQ database doesn't have them listed, so, by default, Garmin can
not update the data.

The current release of CS-NA is v7 and we're starting to get close to
an expected announcement of v8, so v6 is getting a bit dated. But
again, I certainly don't claim that the NavTeq maps are always correct
or up to date.

This leads me to another suggestion. Why not use up-to-date,
satellite-overlay data to respond to local changes in highways, primarily
brought about by new construction. Do this first, then go to the
locality, itself, and collect the new data needed, ie, updating the GIS
being used.

If no one in the company can make it out there, then depend on locals,
perhaps even hiring-out for a day or two to collect the data.

What makes you think this type of work isn't being done already?
Although I suspect that effective data collection requires more
training than would be feasible for people only working a day or two.
But the problem is that it's a big country, the roads (and turn
restrictions) are constantly changing, and anything that requires lots
of American workers isn't going to be cheap.

.

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