Elk Remote Management Software

[BraveSirRobbin]

Here are the details of a press release I received from Elk Technologies. No other details are known at this time:

ElkRM - Remote Management Software



For:
PCs
Pocket PCs
PDAs
ELK-TS07 Touchscreens

Powerful, graphic interface to M1 and EZ8 systems allows the control of
many aspects of the system including security, lighting, climate, tasks,
outputs,
custom settings, etc.
Connection Made Easy


Connect to a M1 or EZ8 through the main serial port or an Ethernet
network(Ethernet connectivity requires the ELK-M1XEP Ethernet).
System Requirements:

Computing Device Running Microsoft .NET 2.0 Framework
Installs and runs on any pc running Microsoft Windows 98SE, ME, 2000,
XP, or Server 2003
OR
Using Microsoft ActiveSync installs and runs on any Windows CE device
Customize Function & Appearance


Customizable to show/hide any unused categories. The general appearance
of the pages can be customized with selectable skins. Skins can also be
manually edited for a truly custom look!

www.elkproducts.com * Toll Free: 800-797-9355 * International:
1+828-397-4200 * Fax: 1+828-397-4415
Elk Products, Inc. * P.O. Box 100 * Hildebran, North Carolina, 28637 USA

 

[lazyone]

Elk quoted me a price of $149.95 for the ElkRP software. Seems a bit steep to me.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

I asked Elk about when this is available. Here is their official response:

It is shipping now. We notified all our resellers last Friday, so
hopefully they are ready to take the order! Retail Pricing is
$149.95/ea and you must give the reseller your panel serial number so we
can provide the key for that panel when we ship the CD.

 

[djenkins6]

They should give the software free to promote use of the hardware

 

[Mike]

But you don't need to use their hardware for this one. You can use it on PDA's and computers. That is what puts this solution in a different category from some of the traditional methods.

I wouldn't mind it being free though

 

[djenkins6]

I don't need their hardware for elkrp either...

 

[DavidL]

djenkins,
Why should software be free? Does it not have a cost to create and to support?

Not sure what you mean that you don't need Elk hardware for the ELK RP software - are you saying that you don't need ELK then at all? It's good stuff.

 

[Spanky]

ELKRP Upload/Download software is FREE. It is FREE to support the M1 and EZ8 because it is needed to make the M1 system work. It has taken 5 years to develop ELKRP. It is NOT a profit center. The M1's competition will charge you for their upload/download software.

The ELKRM Remote Management software is optional and an enhancement. It is not required to make the M1 work. It is a profit center. Sometimes people do not realize the months and years required to make a piece of software work properly. These software writers like to be paid so that they can feed their children.

From a true business decision, no company would spend the money to develop software without some monetary gain. ELK, CQC, Cinemar, mControl and many others would not be offering their GREAT products to the home automation industry unless the bills could be paid eventually, hopefully.



PS EDIT: I don't know what you can use ELKRP for without the M1. It is so closely tied to the M1 with an unpublished protocol. ELKRP will not work with any other control system.