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

Thanks for the helpful update, Paul. But I still have a big worry. Will the new iLok Licensing system let me dual-boot my computer?

If you'll indulge me, there's a bit of a back story to this.

Besides the pain of having just done a clean upgrade from High Sierra, I'm still reeling from my horror in discovering what Big Sur is about. Apple have pretty much dropped the last vestiges of their coy pretences and now their self-image is unmistakably on show in Big Sur:- they are our feudal lords; we are their bonded serfs. Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos suddenly look like nice, warm-hearted philanthropists!

Long story short, I really need to win back some latitude.

To do that, I'm planning to use my iMac as a dual-boot system (perhaps "multi-boot" is a better description) for the foreseeable future: either to go back to High Sierra for serious work (I'm back there right now); or forwards to test my stuff in Big Sur, Monterey, etc (or else sideways into Windows using Boot Camp so I can enjoy time out with some great video games once more).

Will your iLok system allow us to move all our licenses back to the cloud temporarily, then reboot into a different OS on a different storage drive, then download our licenses back from the cloud into the current OS system drive, ready for use without further ado?

My big hope is in realising that those of your pro customers who travel and use several different computers, already have a similar need for conveniently 'mobile' VSL licenses.

Hi Macker, 

Thanks for your reply.

Dual-booting shouldn't be a problem.
With the cloud, your licenses will be available on the computer you are logged in (and only on this one), and if you are using the iLok key, it will be recognized on both OSs. 

Best,
Paul

A wish for the huge upcoming reinstallation within the ILOK switch ...

Please allow us to install everything without directing each single download. No one has so much time.

Best Case would be a complete Installation overnight 😊

Thanks.

Hi LAJ, 

We're working on that 😊

Best, 
Paul

Hello,

I have a second generation iLok key - I see they are up to third generation on the website.  Will I be able to use my second generation key for the Vienna transition, providing I keep all the iLok software up to date?

Thanks.

Mike

Hi,

So this is scary!

Can you please provide more details..

We have 3 vePro elicenses on 3 usb dongles

In fact we purchased 3 steinberg eLicense dongles to make vePro work just this year.. we did so becuase we felt VSL had matured enough to risk purchasing addition computers and a high speed NAS for our sound libraries.

We currently own 1 iLok dongle and last time we checked (Pro tools), iLok does not let you share licenses across computers on iLoks,  and our other 2 vePro servers are in a closed network with NAS that we prefer to keep closed.  (exception yearly fw update if we think its useful)

So how is this gonna work? Is there a deal in the works with the folks over at iLok, or will you be providing the additional iLok dongles that your vePro customers will eventually need free of charge, at a discount, or what?

We like VSL, but we feel forced to look at other alternatives should this licensing move cause vePro not to work as expected.

We have experienced no vePro licensing issues that we are aware of.. so what is so broke that it requires this type of fix. Perhaps there are issues with vePro or VSL products that we are not aware of..

FWIW our hope is that this move that you make sound eminent and rushed, will be years down the road, and phased in carefully!

This is great news! The only thing preventing me from being a VSL customer was not be willing to use a dongle and wanting iLok cloud support, just like all my other applications. The second this is ready, I'm in. Can't happen fast enough -- this has been a very longtime coming, thanks VSL.

Hi vePro7user64,

Thanks for your sharing your thoughts and concerns!
You are not forced to change to another system, but iLok will be the protection system for all future developments and products.
Existing setups will keep on working with eLicenser setups just like they are working now, there will simply be no more software updates.
At some point in the future, license transactions (downloading or moving licenses) will not be possible anymore. This depends on how long the eLicenser Server will be available.  

When you're ready for iLok: You can add as many iLok keys as you like to your account, and you can also add one iLok cloud activation, if you like

Best, 
Paul

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the additional info.. Good to know..

We have calmed down a lot since we last posted here. Mainly because we learned that Steinberg is also killing its dongle.. We guess it would follow that the elicenser server will eventually go away as well.

So we understand the move, we just don't like to update anything on this end unless it's critical or broke, and some upgrades as we are sure you know, are expensive, but buying a few more iLoks won't break us..

(DISCOUNT) think about it;)

But we get it, the Future is coming..

Cheers!

Paul, 

Am I understanding you correctly to say, that for each VSL product we own there will be:

- 1 physical iLok license (for a primary computer)

- and also 1 Cloud license (which may be usable on a secondary computer)?

If so, this is really fantastic! As moving my i-Lok from 1 PC (at home) to my 2nd PC (at work) is just not very feasible on any regular basis. (Most of my other iLok-based software have 2 or 3 licenses, so this isn't a problem). 

Craig

"When you're ready for iLok: You can add as many iLok keys as you like to your account, and you can also add one iLok cloud activation, if you like"

Best, 
Paul

Hello Craig, 

There will be one iLok license for each VSL eLicenser license, and you can decide whether you'd like to store it on an iLok key or in the iLok cloud (and move it around as you like). 

Best, 
Paul

Paul:

I'd just like to re-iterate how useful it would be to have a third option to have iLok locally on each computer therefore not requiring a dongle OR an internet connection.

@beatpete said:

Paul:

I'd just like to re-iterate how useful it would be to have a third option to have iLok locally on each computer therefore not requiring a dongle OR an internet connection.

+1 MILLION

@beatpete said:

Paul:

I'd just like to re-iterate how useful it would be to have a third option to have iLok locally on each computer therefore not requiring a dongle OR an internet connection.

I currently use iLok with VI Lab's piano software and it doesn't require a constant internet connection or dongle. You need an internet connection to initially download the license and then after that the software runs on the computer even if it's not connected to the internet. 

I'm sure iLok will work the same way with VSL software. 

God Bless,

David

@David B. said:

I currently use iLok with VI Lab's piano software and it doesn't require a constant internet connection or dongle. You need an internet connection to initially download the license and then after that the software runs on the computer even if it's not connected to the internet. 

I'm sure iLok will work the same way with VSL software. 

You will need an iLok USB-key or an internet connection when using iLok Cloud. Machine activation will not be available for our products.

Best, Ben

I'm thinking maybe VSL should outline this whole thing and associated costs to the customer in a detailed email and send it to everyone who is currently a VSL customer. It's giving me the willies.

What happens if I leave the eLicencer plugged in as it also contains my Cubase licence?

Do I delete all the VSL licences in the eLicencer before or after the iLok is inserted?

So what, we have to buy another 20+Euro dongle, wait 2 Covid weeks (4 weeks) for it to arrive, request from VSL all our licences, wait for them to be delivered, copy paste the activation codes into the iLok manager all this while thousands of people are simultaneously doing the same. I hope you guys are hiring a 100 more staff and servers to deal with the immense amount of traffic. Not stoked.

Hi JBuck,

No need to worry, we are already working on all points you mentioned, and make the migration as comfortable as possible.
Your Cubase license will be fine, and there will be no need deleting licenses from the eLicenser.

Best, Ben

"You will need an iLok USB-key or an internet connection when using iLok Cloud. Machine activation will not be available for our products."

Thanks for that crucial info, Ben. It makes a huge difference for me. (And it's my fault for not taking the trouble to look up and learn about iLok's Cloud facility.)

While doing serious work with Logic + VEP + VSL instruments I disconnect from Internet. That's because I don't want Internet jibber-jabber triggering any new and possibly hefty processes in my system while I need every last ounce of my CPU power to be focused on the work I'm doing; and I do like to be free of all distractions while working (not to mention concerns about commercial snoopers gathering usage and who knows what other data).

So now it's looking like I'll have to go for the iLok USB dongle key option, continue to have one of my USB ports tied up, and continue to worry about the disruption if that thing fails.

In short, no benefit for cases like mine; just an awful lot of work and the price of a new iLok dongle to switch over to the new scheme.

Ah well. C'est la bloody vie.

Whether the Ilok implementation has started ?