Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!tiamat!quintro!bpdsun1!dwg
From: dwg@bpdsun1.uucp (David W. Glessner)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Hardware keys and piracy
Message-ID: <1989Aug13.224924.935@bpdsun1.uucp>
Date: 13 Aug 89 22:49:24 GMT
Reply-To: dwg@bpdsun1.UUCP (David W. Glessner)
Organization: Harris Broadcast Div., Quincy, IL
Lines: 27

Is it advantageous to use a hardware key to keep customers from
"pirating" our software?


Background information:
	- We like to keep customers happy.
	- Harris' stockholders like to make money.
	- We have old products that are using obsolete Tec 70 terminals.
	- Rather than repairing or replacing defective Tec 70s we are
	  considering selling a Tec 70 emulator package that runs on
	  an IBM PC.
	- Support is very important to our customers.
	- Our customers don't like to pay $3000 (or more) to replace
	  defective Tec 70s.
	- The Tec 70 software package could also be sold as an
	  enhancement to our products.
	- The software could be sold in the $300 price range.
	- Hardware keys cost around $25.


Please e-mail responses and indicate whether you wish your name to be
used in a summary.


David W. Glessner	Harris Corp - Broadcast Div - Quincy, IL
<whatever>NET:		quintro!bpdsun1!dwg@lll-winken.llnl.gov
			uunet!tiamat!quintro!bpdsun1!dwg