Widex just announced its new Allure hearing aids. With all new improved features, however, it seems that Widex is trying to prevent self-fitting by stop using desktop version of fitting software.
The new Widex ALLURE is programmable exclusively through Widex Compass Cloud — the worlds first cloud-based hearing aid fitting software. To start fitting ALLURE, you will need to create a login to the Widex Digital Service Suite. Call 1.800.221.0188 Option 1 to get started.
Yep, I mentioned this last week, why they think this is going to be “better” for the clinic’s I don’t know, but they didn’t do this to stop DIY, obviously they actually believe this is the way forward for the clinic’s!
Yeah it crossed my mind about things like this, they harp on about how safe the clinic’s and patient personal information will be, yeah right we’ve all seen how that usually works out! I’m guessing they think it’ll never happen…
Yes remote support will be available, but it’s got to be set up that one time by the clinic…in the cloud.
It is not possible to adjust them offline, which is a concern. Although I suppose these days it’s more of a random inconvenience. 98% of the time internet is there.
I think their cloud will probably be as secure as anyone else’s cloud. They’ve certainly jumped through all the medical privacy requirement hoops. I don’t know about you guys, but every hospital where I am is now using some sort of cloud storage.
Like tenkan, my sense is that they didn’t do this specifically to prevent self-fitting, that’s just a side effect. In the long run, it might actually facilitate opening up to users just logging in themselves. In the short run, it sort of changes software tech support management. But I don’t really feel clear about what they think the big benefit of this move is.
In some industries where softwares are used for calculating the cost of food mixture and cost saving purpose, it cost a lot say 8 to 10K for one user. Buy one and it is forever unless the windows operating system does not support it anymore. There is limited customer for this type of software. So the software company puts it onto the Cloud with a license and yearly subscription. The software company makes a living.
The Audi that supports Widex will be able to allow to access the software and hence DIY is kept out of the loop!
Not sure whether this what Widex wants.
