Licensing of SpecView > Comparison of USB License Dongle with Soft License

Soft License:

Pros:

•	No USB License Dongle to lose - they are sometimes mistaken for 'memory sticks' and removed.

•	No USB License Dongle to damage - they are sensitive to static discharge.

•	Soft Licenses work in Virtual Machine Environments, see below.

•	No shipping charge because delivery is by email.

Cons:

•

Annual check-ins, which if connected to the Internet is just a couple of clicks, but if not then it requires an exchange of codes which can be done via our website or by email. If the annual check-in is ignored or missed then SpecView will stop communicating, resulting in data loss. However, SpecView does display messages prompting that the annual Check-In is due from 31 days beforehand, so there is plenty of time to complete the Check-In. When the Check-In time is less than 7 days away the message box cannot be closed.

•	Requires initial activation, which if connected to the Internet is just a couple of clicks, but if not then it requires an exchange of codes which can be done via our website or by email.

•	If the license is moved from one computer to another then it will require re-activation, which is done as above.

USB License Dongle:

Pros:

•	No need for initial activation or annual check-ins.

•	Easy to move the license from one computer to another.

Cons:

•	Costs an additional charge.

•	The USB License Dongle can be lost or broken. Also, due to the fact that the USB dongle looks very much like a USB memory key, it has been known for these to be mistaken for memory keys and taken.

•	USB dongle passthrough may not be fully supported in Virtual Machine Environments, see below.

•	Shipping charges apply and subject to postal delay.

Support for Virtual Machine Environments:

It is best to use a soft license for use in a Virtual Machine Environment.

However, it is possible for a USB license dongle to work in some Virtual Machine environments, for example:

VMware - In VMware, USB dongle passthrough is only supported to a limited extent. Meaning, it is not not possible to access a USB license dongle from VMware VMs if the dongle isn't plugged directly into the VMware ESXi host machine.

Hyper-V - USB dongle passthrough is supported to a greater extent - Google for: hyper-v usb passthrough