No, I don’t know anything about them. At all.
We looked a year and half ago or so into adding SchoolDays+ lab server software at the request of a customer. I found their SALES support to be totally lacking. They went to the trouble of sending out a demo dongle for SchoolDays+ photographer software. Then we never heard from them again. Numerous voice mails and emails were totally ignored. I can’t for the life of me remember who I was dealing with at the time, but the guy is still there. He called me just a few months ago and left a voice mail. Which I ignored.
If you are looking at SchoolDays+ or PC Event, I can’t really give you any details one way or the other. I’m not aware of a forum where you can find any users of the software, and I don’t even know about the status of the software within ImageWare. I have read all of the really bad financial information about the company and seen how low the sales numbers are for their software from their quarterly reports. I don’t know how that translates in terms of the future or what their plans might be. Sorry.
I know the general reluctance that some people have toward ExpressDigital. If you aren’t even going to think about going there, and aren’t confident in the future of ImageWare then let me suggest Timestone Software to you from the list. I have demoed their software a number of times and have spoken to several users. Most are largely happy and few report the time zone difference as being any trouble with getting support. It is a bit pricey, but not unexpectedly high. The thing with them that turns me off is the annual fee.
With other vendors, you buy the software and it is yours to use in that version for as long as you like. If you don’t want upgrades, don’t buy them. With Timestone you are charged and annual renewal fee. Don’t pay the fee, software doesn’t work. Their dongle is set with an expiration date.
Look at their NeoPak Professional, which would most closely relate to SchoolDays+ or Assembly in terms of package creation. Price for the first year? $3,800. Nothing shocking about that number as they are in the same ballpark as everyone else. Year 2 fee? $1,900. The current upgrade for Assembly Edition is $995, but those that have chosen to take a pass on it still have full use of the version that they bought. The current upgrade for SchoolDays+ is $750. Anyone that takes a pass still has full use of the version that they bought. Any Timestone user that takes a pass on the annual fee loses use of the software. Period.
What might look like a downside to the Timestone deal is that you buy capture software as a separate product. Your initial $3,800 doesn’t get you any kind of tethered capture. Why isn’t this a downside? Their CapturePost program that handles tethered capture is only $380 a year per user. It is the most affordable solution out there (ED Assembly Field Station $995 each, SchoolDays+ Capture $1,250) for putting 10 or 12 photographers on the street. Even if it is an annual fee.
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I am the General Manager for PhotoLynx, Inc. We offer software that competes with TimeStone and Express Digital. Just about every major lab and photography studio in the U.S. and Canada uses our software. We just purchased the PDI portion of the software from ImageWare. That includes SchoolDays+ and PC event. We pride ourselves in customer support. Our number one goal is to get this negelected software up to speed. From here forward, SchoolDays+ will get the attention and support it deserves.
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Hey – sorry if this gets posted too many time, I keep getting an error when trying to post….
We are going to continue selling the PDI seperately from the PL software. It is our plans, however, to gradually marry them together, but it will be over a period of 5 years. We are going to start selling tech support with free upgrades to existing and new PDI customers. Existing customers can choose to continue to use the product as they have before, if they don’t want the tech support. Please contact Tim McCain or Michael Stevens at PL with any questions. We are happy to answer anything that may be of concern. 760-782-9000
As of January 1, 2007 Paul Schulz, previously IWS Director of Business Development, is being hired by PL to run their New PDI product division. Paul will receive the title of Vice President of Business Development and Sales. Michael Stevens will be in charge of the PL product line. Tim McCain is also being promoted to PL Senior Vice President. Tim McCain will oversee both divisions. These changes are a result of the acquisition of the PDI product line by PL, Inc.