Since its initial software development in 1999, after nearly two decades, IDEA Data Solutions GmbH is finally forced to announce the discontinued support of the first comprehensive Yacht Management Solution, IDEA VIO. When IDEA was founded 18 years ago, daily threats to data security were a fraction of what they are today.

Due to security and compatibility concerns, we will discontinue the support for IDEA VIO by the end of 2019. Official development of this product already stopped in 2012, but we still provided debugging to keep it compatible with Windows 7 and third party software. Since official support for Microsoft Windows 7 is ending soon, we cannot guarantee continued function and security of IDEA VIO because Microsoft will not provide further security updates for this operating system. Additionally, IDEA VIO was not designed for modern operating systems like Windows 10 that use completely different technologies.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?

It is possible that your computer systems might be vulnerable to future hacking attempts through unpatched security issues in Windows 7 or that IDEA VIO will stop working due to updates by third party software. In either case, you will not be able to access your data anymore.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

I would like to introduce you to the successor of IDEA VIO, IDEA Yacht, which is constantly improved and platform independent. Like IDEA VIO, it can be installed on your ship’s server, but it will not need to be installed on other computers. IDEA Yacht can be accessed from any device on your vessel using a web browser and we also have an app for iOS and Android to simplify use on mobile devices.

Here are some more advantages of IDEA Yacht compared to IDEA VIO:
• modern interface compatible with all operating systems
• additional functionality such as a calendar for a better overview, improved rounds for all departments
• no client setup needed; just use the browser to access your data
• and many more …

You can have a look at IDEA Yacht on our demo page.

WHAT ARE THE COSTS INVOLVED?

We are offering you the update of your existing IDEA VIO software to the latest IDEA Yacht version for free. We would only charge €500 to cover our costs for converting your database into the new format and installing the software on your server.

Additionally, purchasing a valid support plan for IDEA Yacht is necessary. The support plan will give you access to at least 4 updates of our software per year including constant improvements and new functionality and grants you full and immediate support (e.g. telephone, email and remote) by our customer care department.

Please try out our demo and do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.We look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Felix Menges
IDEA Sales Manager