The accessaphone™ software suite is unique and meaningful and it makes VoIP telephones accessible and usable to people with varying levels of ability. Months before the product launch, Director of Operations, Dustin Armstrong chose the SoftwareKey System™ to handle licensing security and order processing. After more than five years of business under their belt, Dustin Armstrong shared why he values the SoftwareKey System.
An Idea for The Times
Setting a trajectory to build a successful business, Tenacity Operating, LLC engineered software to make Enterprise Phone Systems across the globe usable and accessible to users who have varying vision, hearing, mobility, dexterity and/or cognitive abilities.
In developing the accessaphone suite of solutions, Tenacity follows universal design resulting in products that are desirable by all. Further, since the accessaphone suite of products is provided to an entire enterprise with unlimited licenses through the Accessibility Resolution Program, their solution can be compared to bringing the access ramp to the entire building versus a custom ramp to each individual user's office.
Tenacity's vision of accessible and usable telephony can be compared to the National Public Inclusive Infrastructure (NPII) purpose for accessible and usable Internet as stated in their White Paper.
"To ensure that everyone who faces accessibility barriers due to disability, literacy or aging, regardless of economic status, can use the Internet and all its information, communities, and services for education, employment, daily living, civic participation, health and safety." 1
Factors driving the demand for accessible and usable telephony include compliance with the law in the US and abroad, affordable communication interface options to ensure inclusion for all individuals, and bridging legacy phone systems and technology to more economic solutions. Increasingly companies are recognizing the need for tools like accessaphone. This empowering technology helps their diverse workforces do their jobs most effectively.
Why SoftwareKey
When Dustin and his key developer searched for, reviewed and compared software licensing products, the choice became easy when they saw what a value the SoftwareKey System was. Getting the best value was particularly important for their startup company. They purchased SOLO Server and hosted it on their own server months before they launched the first release; they wanted to be ready.
Predominant SoftwareKey Features Used:
- Protection PLUS SDK to secure the accessaphone software.
- The injection technology in Instant Protection PLUS for their TTY and Real Time Text Soft Client.
- SOLO Server Automation shopping cart for purchases and automation backend for credit card processing and license management.
Their technicians and support personnel execute purchases through the shopping cart with a customer purchase order.
Initially, Dustin was pleasantly surprised at the extensive feature-set for the price. As they used SOLO Server, his satisfaction grew as they became aware of more features, and they were struck by the ongoing updates by the SoftwareKey developers that they could tap as well.
SoftwareKey is a one stop shop for software protection. Tenacity has been using their solutions since we opened in 2004, and I would not consider going anywhere else. I love the SoftwareKey built-in shopping cart and tools they provide to protect our software from theft. It is nice to see sales come in at 3am. The support that these guys offer is top notch.
He was also impressed that Concept Software invited accessaphone to collaborate via web-based project management tools to ensure that his needs were being met. In addition, he liked how eager Concept Software developers were to engage in specific projects to customize SOLO just for them. He feels this really strengthened the relationship between the two companies.
In some cases the customizations have benefits that reach further than the immediate customer. Driven by the needs of Tenacity, Concept Software worked with an accessibility consultant to adapt the shopping cart user interface to be compliant with accessibility standards.
The Future Looks Bright
Buyers of phone systems are the ones who feel the brunt of the pressure to provide accessibility solutions for companies as the U.S. Department of Justice enforces the law more and more. accessaphone is poised to fill the needs.
Cisco, a global provider of VoIP and Network equipment believes in the benefit brought on by and requirements satisfied by accessaphone and has thus chosen accessaphone as their accessibility solution for their customers moving forward. Because of this, accessaphone is now offered on their parts list as a line item to make the procurement process easy for Cisco's millions of customers worldwide. This exciting development will offer buyers purchasing CISCO routers, switches and phone systems the option to check a box requesting that the phone system be section 508 compliant (the federal accessibility law) which will automatically add Accessibility Resolution (unlimited licenses of the accessaphone suite) to their shopping cart.
In the future, a home and mobile version of accessaphone will be developed to complement the currently designed software which works on phone systems installed in business and government offices.
Soon, accessaphone.com will utilize SOLO to offer buying online as an additional ordering method for their customers.
No one else offers the suite of solutions like Tenacity's accessaphone and we are proud to have been a part of their successful launch and continued growth.
1National Public Inclusive Infrastructure, "Building accessibility and extended usability directly into the Internet", (2010), Retrieved April 6, 2010 from http://www.npii.org/whitepaper.