Dinkey Pro/FD version 7.4 released
We are very pleased to announce a new release of the Dinkey Pro/FD SDK, version 7.4. Version 7.4 brings a much sought-after feature to Dinkey Pro/FD—demo software keys. Read on to learn more.
Dinkey Pro/FD users can request the latest version of the SDK at any time by filling in the form on this page. For security, download links will only be sent to registered email addresses. To manage the registered addresses for your account, log in to our online order system and go to Account Details.
Demo Software Keys
A demo software key is a time-limited 'virtual dongle' that can be used in place of a physical Dinkey Pro or Dinkey FD device. Demo software keys allow you to offer evaluation copies of your protected software without the need to ship a dongle to every potential new customer, while still protecting your software against copying and enforcing the terms of your licence.
Demo software keys allow you to very easily implement the 'trialware' licence model, offering users a fully featured program for a limited trial period. Trialware is a very popular way of allowing potential customers to see the benefits of your software and encourage sales. Demo software keys have a customisable lifespan of up to 60 days, so you can decide exactly how long the trial period lasts.
Demo software keys are similar to temporary software keys, except that they are created automatically from an online template. This means that the user does not need to supply you with the machine ID of the device they want to install the software key on, which allows you completely automate the creation and installation of the software key, for example from your software's installer.
An online portal allows you to track the use of demo software keys for your protected software. This online management system also allows you to extend a customer's trial period, and disable a template to stop any new users activating a demo copy of your software.
There is a small charge for each demo software key installed on user's computer or device, and you must buy packs of installations in advance. Packs of 100 or 1000 installations can be bought through the online portal. To allow you to try out this powerful new feature free of charge, we have automatically credited your account with 5 free installations.
More Information
For full details of the Demo Software Key functionality, including how to create templates and how to automate key installation, see the Software Keys chapter of the latest SDK user manual.
Detailed technical information about all of the changes in this release is available in these update notes. For a full list of changes to Dinkey Pro/FD, please see the Dinkey Pro/FD version history.
Your Feedback
We'd love to hear what you think about these new improvements. To send us feedback about the recent changes to Dinkey Pro/FD, or to discuss what new features and functionality you'd like to see in future releases, please get in touch.