General

Answers!

July 14, 2008 by Marc

Wow! It’s really exciting to see so much interest in eWallet for iPhone. Even negative comments are great from my perspective because it tells me you are at least giving us the opportunity to help you! Thanks!

That said, this entire blog post is dedicated to answering the many questions that have come up over the past week or so. I hope that this will help everyone to understand what is going on and know what the future holds!

Is It Out Yet? As of this posting, no. We’re still waiting. Seriously, we don’t know what the issue as. All we know is that it says it is waiting for the export approval (that thing that has to do with the encryption and shipping overseas.)

When Will Sync Be Available? We expect to have a version with full synchronization available around August 13th (Apple willing.) So about 30 days from now.

How Much Will It Cost? Although it may change in the future, the initial pricing for eWallet on iPhone is $9.99.

Is There a Discount for Existing Users? Right now, Apple doesn’t give us a way to offer discounts to existing users. In fact other than having it on the store and giving it a price we have no other control. That is part of the reason we decided to go with the $9.99 price tag. It basically offers the software at the $10.00 upgrade price.

Why Are Other Company’s Apps in the Store But You Aren’t? Boy, we’d sure like to know! We’ve talked to the folks at Apple and so far we’ve simply been told that all we can do is wait. It’s making us crazy since they told us we’d be in by the 11th! Unfortunately, when it comes to Apple there is very little you can do or find out. You simply have to say “OK Apple” and hope for the best. As we said before, our application still tells us they are waiting for export approval.

 Why Did You Implement Other Features and not Sync? Sync is huge. Putting a rounded corner on a card is simple. It isn’t that we spent the time we could have used for sync on doing card formatting options. It’s simply that sync by itself is almost as big as the rest of the program (complexity wise). As I mentioned, we could have just waited 30 days to release the whole thing but it really seemed like we should get the application out there as soon as possible.

Why Didn’t You Throw More Resources at This to Get It Done? We threw as much as we could at this project. As most of you know, we’re not a huge company and we have a lot of bases to cover. Had we thrown any more at this project it would have meant pulling folks off of eWallet 6.1. We just didn’t feel that doing that would have been fair to our existing customers, especially since those features were part of a promise we made to FlexWallet users.

Will the Upgrade to the Sync Version be Free? Yes. The upgrade should be completely free. It should come through as a normal application upgrade in the AppStore.

If I Make a Wallet Now Will it Work in August? Yes. Your data should remain intact when you upgrade.

Can I Use 1 Password to Sync for Now? Sorry. At this point the only solution is to wait the 30 days. I really wish I could offer a better solution.

Is There a Desktop Version? Some of you may be new to eWallet so I want to answer this one. There is a full featured Windows PC desktop solution for eWallet. It is already available and offers full sync to network computers, ftp sites, Windows Mobile devices, Palm OS, USB cards, and more. This is the same version of the software that you will use to sync with your iPhone version.

Why Are You Penalising Existing Users? But we aren’t! However you cut it, eWallet with sync wasn’t going to be out until mid-August. That was the simple reality of how long it took to develop the application. The only difference is that we decided to release the current version first just to get it out there and let folks start using it!

“Even a workaround hack (used at the user’s own risk) is acceptable.” I’m not sure that we can officially release workaround hacks. That sort of thing tends to get you in trouble with the OS. What I can tell you is that eWallet for iPhone uses a standard .WLT file. That means the same old file you use on your Windows PC is what we’re using to access data on the iPhone side. Once eWallet goes out, if someone could figure out how to stick a wallet in the right place, we certainly wouldn’t try to silence them.

I…N EED…MY…WALLET…NOW!!!!! OK, OK. I hear you. The Web Companion beta is tight but if you are in a bad situation (going on vacation) and need SOME way of getting to your data on your iPhone before August 13th, email me directly with the subject HELP ME. I will try to push you through into the Web Companion beta and then you can at least access your data there! Please only email me if you are in a really tight spot because as I mentioned, we have limited space at the moment - let’s work together to leave room for the people who really need to get in!

Nice Explanation But Not Good Enough! I know that for some folks this will be a “Sorry, I’m out of here” issue. As I said, we could have waited until August but we really felt that this was the best route to take. If waiting the additional 30 days is too much we totally understand. Everyone has their limit and we respect that. You need to do what works best for you.

Can I Beta Test eWallet for iPhone? Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t give us a way to get beta versions out to people. We get a certain number of “test unit” registrations in-house but that’s it. I think it is all part of the “don’t let anyone else distribute” thing but it sure is a pain for us.

When Will ListPro for iPhone Be Out? I don’t have a release date yet but I’m guessing within the next month or two. Just a guess though.

You Must Tell Us! What About OSX/Mac? Fine, you’ve beaten me down! We are planning an OSX version of eWallet for and probably ListPro. When will it be available? Let us get through this first and then we’ll let you know! I’m guessing later this year but that’s just a guess.

AND FINALLY

Can’t You Do ANYTHING For Us? I can do one thing. We still need to work out the details but we plan to do the following…anyone who buys eWallet for iPhone before the release of the sync version in August will get either (their choice):

1. The eWallet 6.1 desktop version at no charge.
2. $5.00 off your next purchase at Ilium Software if you already have the desktop version.

UPDATE 09-19-08: This offer was only valid before the 6.1.2 sync upgrade came out. The upgrade went live in the App Store on September 7th, at which time this promotion ended. The desktop version of eWallet is $9.95 for all iPhone eWallet owners. You can find upgrade details here on our site.

Like I said, we need to work out the details but that is our intent. Hopefully that will help to soften the blow a little bit at least!

eWallet for iPhone Sync

July 11, 2008 by Marc

Well, it’s the 11th and we’re still waiting on Apple over here. Yeah, it was supposed to be in the store today but as of right now it’s not there. Of course “today” isn’t over so we’ll see what develops!

That being the case and not knowing when they will go live with our application, I’m going to go ahead and answer some of the burning questions rather than waiting on Apple to release it before we talk about it.

OK, so here it is, the big question we keep hearing. Will eWallet for iPhone sync? Will you be able to use your old wallets in eWallet on iPhone? And the answer is:

“Yes…but not until August”

I’ll wait for the shouting to die down then I’ll continue. And please do read on as I think it will help to illuminate the reasoning behind our decision.

What the…? No Sync?

We have the means to sync, but one thing that folks who have been with us for awhile know is that we’re perfectionists. When we put a feature in, by god it had better work exactly the way it is supposed to. In fact, it should work better than we planned it.

So, while we have the capability to sync, there were things we just weren’t happy with. As the submission date for iPhone applications loomed we realized that we had three choices:

Option 1: Jam It In

We could have just jammed it all in and hurried it to market. We really can do this if we want to. The problem is that this sort of decision is almost guaranteed to bite you later. It would have gotten the app out to everyone, with all features intact, but at what cost?

Option 2: Wait Until It Is Done

We’ve chosen this option numerous times in previous projects. If the app isn’t where we want it to be, we just don’t release until it is. That’s one of the reasons we so seldom announce release dates. We like the flexibility to say “It isn’t perfect! Back to your computer code monkey!” We could have done this for iPhone eWallet but we knew that our competitors would be there early on. The folks who are really loyal to us might have waited until August, but new customers (of which we believe there will be many) who don’t really understand the value of sync yet anyhow, wouldn’t wait. We just couldn’t choose this one.

Option 3: A Two-Stage Launch

That left us with one final option. We get everything we can done by the launch date, make eWallet the best on-device secure password manager out there, and plan to release an update in August that adds full sync capability to eWallet.

Seriously Dude, That Sucks

Yeah, we know. We’re sorry we couldn’t have put the whole thing together in time for the launch but there’s only so much we can do. As you saw, we weren’t just doing eWallet for iPhone here. We still have a strong commitment to the platforms we already support (ie: eWallet 6.1). But don’t worry, there is some good news…

Why the August Sync Update Rocks

When the sync update goes out here is what you can look forward to:

• Same Desktop Version: No new or different desktop versions needed! The standard eWallet software for Windows PC will be all you need. We might release a 6.1.1 version to make the process even easier but you won’t even need to upgrade if you don’t want to.
• Complete Compatibility With Old Wallets: No conversions of your data. No limits about whether your data is supported. It’s your wallet, on the iPhone.
• Same Flexibility: Sync with as many devices as you like, sync to other computers, sync to the cloud…it’s all there still.
• Same Power: I have to say that we have one of the best sync engines around. It’s stable, smart, and fast. You get all the same power for iPhone sync.
• Sync From Anywhere: You can sync your iPhone wallet from anywhere at anytime! No need to be tethered to your PC.
• Skip the PC Completely: Don’t have a Windows PC? Don’t want a Windows PC? Not a problem. Sync straight to the eWallet Web Companion for easy backups and desktop access to your data.

We Won’t Let You Down

So never fear. We’ve made it our business to not let our customers down. I can confidently say that eWallet synching for iPhone is fantastic and I really believe you’ll like it as well. What is more, I think that once everyone has their hands on it they’ll agree that it was worth the wait!

Now let’s go Apple! Get us into the store!

eWallet for iPhone: The Movie!

July 10, 2008 by Marc

Pull up a chair and grap the popcorn! It’s eWallet for iPhone: The Movie! We know people are dying to get their hands on eWallet for iPhone but we’re still waiting on Apple!* In the meantime, we put together this short (about 1 minute, 40 seconds) demo video for you so that you can see the new software in action! Enjoy!

 The movies are in Quicktime format (seemed appropriate considering it’s for an Apple product) and are provided in three different resolutions for your viewing pleasure!

High Res (11 MB) Med Res (9 MB) Low Res (5 MB)

\* “What’s the hold up?” you ask. While we aren’t entirely sure, it looks like it has something to do with export approval. As most of your know our 256-bit AES encryption is exteremly powerful - so powerful, in fact, that we have to get a variety of government approvals to export eWallet (yep - an eWallet program so powerful exporting it to the wrong people is a potential security threat!) So anyhow, Apple has told us that it should be in the store by the 11th so we’re still hoping to make the “It’s Out!” announcement tomorrow!

eWallet for iPhone Sneak Preview...

July 1, 2008 by Marc

With the (predicted) AppStore release date swiftly approaching, I wanted to take a second to give you a sneak peak at eWallet for iPhone. I am extremely excited about this application. It looks great, it’s easy to use, and while we’ve captured the iPhone feel it is in every way the eWallet software you’ve come to know and love.

Of course this will generate the usual question:

“When will it be released?”

We hope to see it available in the AppStore around the time that the AppStore goes live but we don’t know exactly when eWallet will be available. First, as far as I understand it, no one is 100% sure when the AppStore will go live. Second, we don’t have control over the process used to post applications. We send Apple the application, they look it over, decide if it is “fit for the AppStore” and then put the application out there for the public. This whole process happens according to Apple’s timetable.

What I can tell you is that we have a finished product (I’ve been using it on my own iPhone for some time now) and we’re ready to roll as soon as Apple gives us the go ahead! So watch this space! We’ll definitely make some noise the minute the software is available!

Click on any thumbnail below to see the full image!

The Revolutionary iPhone App Store

June 24, 2008 by Ellen

More and more of the analysts and commentators are starting to realize predict that the coming iPhone Application Store will be as revolutionary for third-party software sales as the iPhone has been for smartphones.

Despite the analysts’ bad track record for mobile market predictions in general, I think they’re right about this one. There will be a huge advantage to having the App Store on the device, supported by the maker of the device and the OS.

Microsoft and Palm have been missing this for years. They’ve relied completely on third-party stores. There’s been no major advertising of the availability of software for Palm or Windows Mobile phones. There’s been very little promotional activity, and not much effort to raise users’ awareness of the fact that they can buy software.

Apple’s already changed this, and the store’s still 3 weeks away. Friends and relatives who have had only the vaguest idea what we do are asking whether our software will run on the iPhone. Articles about third-party software for the iPhone turn up regularly in my tech and business news feeds. There’s a link to App Store info on the front page of iphone.com. Major companies, including eBay, Electronic Arts, and Sega, have already announced and demonstrated their iPhone apps.

It’s going to be a whole new world for mobile software developers. Our biggest problem has always been that people just don’t know they can add software to their PDAs and smartphones. I’m convinced that Apple will solve this for us.

I know this does’t mean that our jobs will suddenly get easy - they won’t. There will be a lot more competition. It’s a very new market for us. And there are a huge number of open issues about the App Store, beginning with whether our apps will even get into it. Trial versions, upgrades, user info for support: it’s pretty clear that Apple hasn’t given any of these much time yet.

But I’m still optimistic that Apple’s monopoly on third-party distribution will be better for developers than the current mobile software distribution oligopoly. No matter how much I like some of the distributors, they’re not doing, and never have done, what the mobile market needs. And neither have the mobile hardware and operating system OEMs. Apple may end up helping them all as well - just raising user awareness of the availability of add-on software might improve software sales on other mobile platforms as well. But I’d bet that the distributors who haven’t already thrown in the towel are pretty nervous right now. Apple’s marketing, combined with the fact that they’re behind the software store, the OS and the hardware, is going to be very powerful.

I know there’s a lot of disagreement among developers about this, and I admit I’m uncomfortable with the idea that without Apple’s approval, we literally won’t be able to sell software for the iPhone. But the mobile software market badly needs a big change. I don’t know where we’ll be a year from now, but I’m pretty sure it will be a very different place. I’m all in favor of that.

And here are a few articles of the articles from this morning and last week:

• Information Week
• InfoSync
• Tech News World

*oligopoly: a market condition in which sellers are so few that the actions of any one of them will materially affect price and have a measurable impact on competitors

Secure Info Managers go Head to Head. eWallet Wins!

June 20, 2008 by Ellen

PDA Essentials Smartphone and GPS Magazine held a Head to Head comparison of Secure Information Managers in their recent issue (Issue 75), and I’m delighted to say that eWallet won!

eWallet was rated 10 out of 10 and awarded the Editor’s Choice Award, coming out ahead of Spb Wallet, Handy Safe and CodeWallet. The competition was tough, but we’re not surprised that when the smoke cleared, eWallet was rated the best.

I don’t think that PDA Essentials puts their articles online, or I’d be linking to it, but I’m going to look into whether we can buy online reprint rights (there’s got to be a better term for that) and put a copy on our site.

Many thanks, editors and judges!