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Date: 21 Aug 94 02:31:57 EDT
From: Paul Rickett <71054.660@compuserve.com>
To: Brad Cox 
Subject: Wired Article
Message-Id: <940821063157_71054.660_CHJ47-1@CompuServe.COM>

I read your article in September's Wired. You may be interested to know that one of my customers in Vancouver, BC has brought to market a software metering system. The technology is currently being used to deliver computer based training but they have demonstrated it running on a Novell network 'wrapped' around a third party shrink wrap package like Lotus, in effect being able to meter use of Lotus over the network without touching Lotus's code. The present billing model is that the user prebuys a set number of units of use (normally time based but not necessarily so) using a credit card or authorized PO. He then receives a code which allows him to increment the meter. The meterware technology is being marketed by SRA (one of the largest CBT companies worldwide).

If you would like more information I suggest you call Ken Tongue who is president of FirstClass Systems at (604) 538-7246. You may tell him I referred you if you like.

Kind regards Paul Rickett VARKETING! Vancouver, BC

Response

>Brad
>
>I read your article in September's Wired. You may be interested to know that one
>of my customers in Vancouver, BC has brought to market a software metering
>system. The technology is currently being used to deliver computer based
>training but they have demonstrated it running on a Novell network 'wrapped'
>around a third party shrink wrap package like Lotus, in effect being able to
>meter use of Lotus over the network without touching Lotus's code.  The present
>billing model is that the user prebuys a set number of units of use (normally
>time based but not necessarily so) using a credit card or authorized PO. He then
>receives a code which allows him to increment the meter. The meterware
>technology is being marketed by SRA (one of the largest CBT companies
>worldwide). 
>
>If you would like more information I suggest you call Ken Tongue who is
>president of FirstClass Systems at (604) 538-7246. You may tell him I referred
>you if you like.

Thanks for the lead. Will check it out.

I'm aware of a large number of license servers that work as you describe. 
They're unigranular systems whereas I'm after a *multigranular* 
system. 

By this I mean a system that allows Lotus to get theirs, a Lotus application-
builder to get theirs, and the programmer who wrote Lotus' string 
compare routine to get his/hers in an electronic version of the farmer, 
miller, baker synergy.