tracking customers

Fangbeast · Post by **Fangbeast** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 9:38 am

Not that i've sold anything yet but (had one dickhead customer cause trouble) , can anyone give me a suggestion about a program to keep track of shareware software sales?

There are no keys or license files in my program, just generic information.

Tipperton · Post by **Tipperton** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 3:18 am

There's ArmTracker (www.armtracker.com), although it's oriented towards using Armadillo for license keys, you can probably use it as a customer database without generating keys.

And then there's Shareware Assistant (www.eordertool.com) which also supports Armadillo but can definitely be used as just a customer database without generating keys.

Neither one is free, ArmTracker is $25 and Shareware Assistant is $49.95, both have a trial version.

Fangbeast · Post by **Fangbeast** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 5:20 am

Thanks. But as I've yet to get money despite thousands of views and lots of downloads in various places, I have no money to spend. Looks like I have to go with Rings' solution, make my own.

Thanks for the suggestions though.

NoahPhense · Post by **NoahPhense** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 8:30 pm

Fangbeast wrote:Looks like I have to go with Rings' solution, make my own.

What kind of solution did he recommend?

- np

Fangbeast · Post by **Fangbeast** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:02 pm

NoahPhense wrote:
Fangbeast wrote:Looks like I have to go with Rings' solution, make my own.
What kind of solution did he recommend?

- np

He said "Why not write your own?"

:)

srod · Post by **srod** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:12 pm

I use Karbon's k-billing (written with PB), it's very nice; easy to use and very powerful.

Fangbeast · Post by **Fangbeast** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:44 pm

srod wrote:I use Karbon's k-billing (written with PB), it's very nice; easy to use and very powerful.

Mitch does great stuff but as I said above to Tipperton, I have no money to spend. If a few people pay for my crap, that may change:):):):):)

NoahPhense · Post by **NoahPhense** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:58 pm

If you're talking about controling two different things. One being how
people use and pay for your software. My solution is to use machine
dependant encryption. One computer, one license.

As for tracking it via web. You could be make it have a web piece in it
where it logs itself to a server. Just like virus software does. My
subscription to Norton and Avast use this method. Yes, it requires that
I have internet. And that the user allow the app to talk through their
internet.

You can not have security and a watchful eye, without these things.

To me, the internet/client/server method is the best. Some people will
argue this. Because they think it's cruel to force a user to have internet
access to have a software product.

My reply to that is: "That sounds personal."

Which brings me to something I am doing for a product line. In 2007
up to 100 million units will be shipped worldwide with my product on it.
And if the user wants the registered version of my software, they will
need to register via the web. And it will be on a subscription basis,
using the systems hardware id's as a form of registration. Now of course
there are algorythms going on here, to enc/dec these numbers, etc.

But to me that's security. Just like when I re-installed one of my copies
of Windows XP Pro for the 7th time in my Virtual software, and it denied
me because it had been installed several times before. And I had to
call MS to get it installed.

Still the cheesy way.

I like the subscription process, it can also check for updates, etc.

- np

Fangbeast · Post by **Fangbeast** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 4:22 am

NoahPhense, I like your ideas but..I don't have the time, skill, money to get into protection schemes. U3.com and I actually had this discussion about protecting my U3 version and I replied that I didn't believe in it. if I did, I dare say that some of the people playing with cracking in this forum would try to teach me a lesson anyway!!

As for the tracking, all I need is a simple software sales tracking program suitable for my products and as Rings said "Why not write your own, I know you can do it" and he's right.

I am currently designing one as we speak, just a bit slow due to the heat. Might need a little help for a few issues later on as it gets to completion.

thefool · Post by **thefool** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:49 pm

Fangbeast; in 20 minutes of work you can make 1000's of novice crackers unable to "fix" your software

Fangbeast · Post by **Fangbeast** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:24 pm

thefool wrote:Fangbeast; in 20 minutes of work you can make 1000's of novice crackers unable to "fix" your software

I doubt it. You can crack it in seconds if I read some of the forum posts correctly (evil grin).

NoahPhense · Post by **NoahPhense** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:30 pm

Fangbeast wrote:
thefool wrote:Fangbeast; in 20 minutes of work you can make 1000's of novice crackers unable to "fix" your software
I doubt it. You can crack it in seconds if I read some of the forum posts correctly (evil grin).

I think he means "desturctive code".

- np

NoahPhense · Post by **NoahPhense** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:38 pm

Fangbeast wrote:NoahPhense, I like your ideas but..I don't have the time, skill, money to get into protection schemes. U3.com and I actually had this discussion about protecting my U3 version and I replied that I didn't believe in it. if I did, I dare say that some of the people playing with cracking in this forum would try to teach me a lesson anyway!!

As for the tracking, all I need is a simple software sales tracking program suitable for my products and as Rings said "Why not write your own, I know you can do it" and he's right.

I am currently designing one as we speak, just a bit slow due to the heat. Might need a little help for a few issues later on as it gets to completion.

Sales tracking is one thing. But if your product will be in many places.
I.e. when you get your software U3 certified, and up on their site, that
is only one of 30+ places you can sell it.

At least for me that's how it's going down.

Mine will be on the U3 site, and it will also be the sole software on a
regular thumb drive when it gets distributed. So my thoughts went
even deeper.

If the customer has already bought this drive, for it's "purpose" (the
software on it). Then how can I keep track of it? Because as you know
the software needs to sit somewhere, most likely in many places. One
place is with the distributor who will be loading the USB thumb drives.

Another might be some shareware site, etc..

So, my thoughts are obviously two part. One the purchase, two the
registration.

Via the registration process is where I will keep tracking and bills the
distributor for QTY.

I know this is a lot of talking. But you are actually ahead of the game.
You've started developing something. And during this process is where
you will discover better and more effecient ways to securely sell your
product.

Third party software sucks.

- np

thefool · Post by **thefool** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:49 pm

NoahPhense wrote:
Fangbeast wrote:
thefool wrote:Fangbeast; in 20 minutes of work you can make 1000's of novice crackers unable to "fix" your software
I doubt it. You can crack it in seconds if I read some of the forum posts correctly (evil grin).
I think he means "desturctive code".

- np

Yeah i had that in mind.

Well if you don't want to use that, just take a quick look in the beginners section of this forum, in the utopimania topic.

Fangbeast · Post by **Fangbeast** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 11:53 pm

The customer tracking program is well on the way. Looks good too. Am going to implement a small module (integrated into Addresser) for the customer to enter their registration data to then send to me as an encrypted attachment (for their security of course). I can launch the system associated email program and put the correct subject in there but the user will have to manually attach the registration file.

The manager module will scan my email directory for incoming attachments, import and decrypt them. As well, I can manually add customers.

It's getting there.

As for the U3 version of Addresser, it's been up on their site since the beginning December almost.

Work, work, work!!