Olympus ODMS R7 No Longer Supported On Windows 7 After January 14, 2020

We have all long known that Microsoft would pull the plug on the support of their older yet still popular Windows 7 operating system mid-January 2020. Well, Olympus is doing the same for their ODMS R7 Dictation & Transcription Module software.

With an operating system no longer supported by its own software vendor it makes sense for Olympus (and many other software manufacturers) to also end the support of their latest supported version of their Olympus Dictation Management System (ODMS) R7 software. Hang on, isn’t that a contradiction “end the support of their latest supported version“? Well no, ODMS R7 is supported by Olympus and their Pro Audio dealers but only on supported operating systems which for Windows is now the ever-evolving Windows 10.

All Good I Have Windows 8?

What about Windows 8 (or 8.1) you say. Well, no. Although that came after Windows 7 it was just a Microsoft stop-gap to Windows 10 and version 8’s support from Microsoft ended back in January 2018. A snippet from the Microsoft Lifecycle FAQ for Windows 8 .. “Windows 8.1 falls under the same lifecycle policy as Windows 8, and will reach end of Mainstream Support on January 9, 2018, and end of Extended Support (paid option) on January 10, 2023. With the general availability of Windows 8.1, customers on Windows 8 have two years, until January 12, 2016, to move to Windows 8.1 in order to remain supported.”

What Should I Do?

We recommend that you look to upgrade your Windows operating system to Windows 10. Please research this, your existing computer may not be able to run Windows 10.

Does This Mean I Can No Longer Use The ODMS Licence I Have On My Windows 7 Computer

No not at all, the Olympus ODMS R7 licences are transferable to a new computer. The Olympus EULA (End User Licence Agreement, the long text that nobody reads as they hit next, next, next when installing software) requires that a unique licence key be used for each individual installation of ODMS. This also covers moving from an old computer to a new Windows PC. More info on this in our old but still popular blog post; Dead PC or Upgrading Your Computer? How To Transfer Your Olympus DSS Player Pro or ODMS Licence

I Have DSS Player Pro R5 / ODMS R6 Software Should I Upgrade That Also?

Yes. Both DSS Player Pro R5 and ODMS R6 are long discontinued and out-of-support. DSS Player Pro R5 was end-of-life in July 2014 and ODMS R6 back in March 2019. You will need to purchase an upgrade licence to ODMS R7 and migrate your older version Olympus software to the new. To upgrade to ODMS R7 you must know your current R5/R6 licence key (you should always keep your software licence keys safe in case of a PC crash).

The upgrade licence you need depends on the licence key you hold. Below is a table showing what you have now and what you need to buy, each upgrade licence costs $99 incl. GST:

My licence key starts with the characters RD5

• You have a DSS Player Pro R5 Dictation Module (DM) licence key. You need ODMS R7 Dictation Module (DM) Upgrade – Olympus part AS-9003

My licence key starts with the characters RT5

• You have a DSS Player Pro R5 Transcription Module (TM) licence key. You need ODMS R7 Transcription Module (TM) Upgrade – Olympus part AS-9004

My licence key starts with the characters RD6

• You have an ODMS R6 Dictation Module (DM) licence key. You need ODMS R7 Dictation Module (DM) Upgrade – Olympus part AS-9003

My licence key starts with the characters RT6

• You have an ODMS R6 Transcription Module (TM) licence key. You need ODMS R7 Transcription Module (TM) Upgrade – Olympus part AS-9004

Please do not be overwhelmed or confused by the Olympus software modules and licence keys, we are here to help and explain. If you have any questions please email us sales@dictate.com.au, give us a call 1300 88 23 75 or contact us through the LiveChat on this blog and our main website dictate.com.au – advice is always free.

 

More information on Windows lifecycle in the Microsoft FAQ.