Re: Compass Software

["Frank Olson" <Please-use-the-email-links@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Joe Lucia" <joe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1129827445.203632.307000@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

> But they don't SECURE it as if they only want professionals to have it.
> I could give one username and password out to ALL of my dealers and
> tell them not to tell anyone else and to only access their own accounts
> or the things they are competent enough to access, but they won't,
> regardless of my "explicit statement", therefore proper security is
> required if you only want "professional dealers" to use the resources
> you make available to everyone.  And I say "made available to everyone"
> because it obviously IS, password or not.

The fact that the site *is* secured at all should tell you that they don't
want "just anyone" to access the software.  The fact that the softwares EULA
also indicates it's intented to be used by qualified service personnel
should also tell you that they don't want "just anyone" to have access to
it...  You seem to miss these important points (as does the individual that
provided you with the user id and password.  If you were to call one of your
local dealers and ask them to supply you with access the Honeywell Dealer
site, what would they say??


>
> Cars do not need to be initially programmed by the user (or Dealer for
> that matter) to make them work.  They work as-is, out-of-the-box.

Boy are *you* wrong.  Cars are "programmed" at the factory.  Yes, the Dealer
has to do very little in the way of "intervention", because they *do* work
"out of the box".   GM (Ford, Chrysler, etc.) won't give you access to
programming though, and there's no way for you to alter critical functions.
On GM vehicles equipped with "Onstar", you also don't have the option of
using another provider.  With the panel software you can pretty well do
anything you want (including "nulling" the zones, telco numbers and account
codes).



> This is a matter of Controlling who is working with your hardware.
> Even a Professional doesn't always know what they are doing nor should
> be programming a panel they have not had enough experience with (I see
> it every day!).

Right!!!  Just like the factory trained mechanic for your car is also
capable of making some alteration to the software that runs critical
functions.  I understand that there are chip readers out there that will
give you the ability to view the different settings, but won't allow you to
alter them.

A "Professional" technican/Dealer has access to manufacturer sponsored
training that an end-user won't.  It behooves any Dealer that employs
technicians to ensure they're adequately trained on the equipment they sell.
If they don't, they're not being efficient and they're losing money!!


>
> Even a Professional can't download someone elses panel if that panel
> has been secured properly by the "Professional" that originally
> installed it.  If an end-user gets the software, then if the
> Professionals do their job, there is no worry of the end-user doing
> something they shouldn't with someone elses panel.  Mmaybe they could
> include an "explicit statement" to the end-user telling them they
> should only use the software on their own panel, think that would keep
> everyone honest ;)

That won't help.  If, for instance the end-user wants to use the software he
purchases from some online retailer on his own system, he has to call his
Dealer and get the access codes (and in some instances the CSID number which
the software "writes" to the panel on the initial download).  I know of no
Dealer that would give that informtaion out to an end-user.  Doing so would
compromise every panel they have that uses that same software.



> Yes, the manual indicates that you must have an alpha keypad to program
> the zones using the Menu Mode.  But when reading I kept getting the
> impression there was a way to program them without using Menu Mode
> since I didn't have an alpha keypad.  Apparently Not, so I either
> needed to purchase an alpha keypad just so I could program the panel,
> or get the Software.  I already had a usable modem so I opted to
> download the software.

If you were my customer and decided you wanted to program your own equipment
using Dealer software, I'd say...  "Sure, send me a cheque for the balance
of your contract, then we'll default your panel and you can find yourself
another monitoring centre and servicing Dealer.  Good-bye!!"



> I think you are under the impression that I HAVE an alpha keypad.  I do
> not.  It does say "if you have an Alpha Keypad then you can use the
> Menu Mode to program your Wireless zones".  It doesn't say "if you
> don't, then you need to get an alpha keypad or use the software", so I
> kept searching for a way to program the wireless zones with a non-alph
> keypad.  It wasn't a matter of knowing how to do it, it was a matter of
> knowing if I had the proper Tools to do it.  Once I knew I didn't have
> the proper tool, I got the tool and did the job, no problem.  I just
> want to make sure the Tool required to complete the job didn't require
> purchasing additional hardware because the software wasn't available to
> me, someone perfectly competent to use it and understand the
> consequences of invalid programming, yet I wouldn't call myself a
> "Professional Dealer" per se because I'm not a Technician or Installer.
>

There is a way to program the panel without the Alpha keypad.  You have to
be familiar with the panel's reponses though to do it.  I couldn't "teach"
you how to, nor would I want to.  The method is far more prone to error if
you're unfamiliar with the equipment.  Leave the programming of the panel to
someone that is trained to do so.  If you don't like the fact that they're
going to "restrict" you then your option is to have the system defaulted to
a local panel, purchase a remote dialler module and program that to call
your cell phone.  Of course, you could always call up "NextAlarm" and have
them send you their dialler.  From what I've read and seen in this group
though, I'd have some concerns on how they deal with their customers as
well...