After 23 years of serving the software development industry as the Association of Shareware Professionals, the ASP has changed its name to the Association of Software Professionals. The new name reflects ASP’s influence in converting nearly all of the software publishing industry to the try-before-you-buy model, as well as ASP’s commitment to continue to guide independent software publishers in innovative new software development and marketing strategies.

“ASP began in 1987 as the trade organization for software developers”said ASP’s current president Mike Dulin of SharewareJunkies.com. “Back then, the ASP was a small band of independent underdogs who defied the traditional software distribution channel, and created the try-before-you-buy model. Today, the entire software industry has adopted the shareware system, and there’s no need for our organization to keep a name that is tied to the past.”

The ASP has evolved into an international organization of 1,000 software developers who are pioneering cloud computing, software as a service (SaaS), smartPhone development, and desktop/laptop development on all of tomorrow’s popular computing platforms.

ASP’s newsgroups are constantly buzzing with discussions about new ways to market software. In past years, ASP members were at the leading edge of using press releases to publicize their software, using search engine advertising to increase sales, and using the Internet to market their applications.

“Today, ASP’s developers work together to optimize their programs’ registration incentives, protect their intellectual property, and optimize innovative software sales methodologies,” said Adriana Iordan, ASP’s PR Chairperson. “We use our newsgroups, newsletters, and blog to work together for the good of the industry, and to strengthen our members’ businesses.”

“With fewer and fewer developers calling their applications ‘shareware’, software buyers have become confused about the meaning of the term,” explains Rich Holler, ASP’s Executive Director. “And since nearly all software developers today, from the smallest micro independent software vendor (mISV) to the largest software publisher, offer trial versions of their programs, the term ‘shareware’ has become less useful.”

Shareware is a marketing method. ASP’s members develop and market software. And the ASP will be called the Association of Software Professionals as it moves into the future.

ASP’s spam-free private discussion groups save members countless hours and minimize frustration by delivering information on the most difficult business, technical, and marketing issues. Visit the ASP’s website – asp-software.org – to learn more about how the ASP can help your software business grow.* * *

About ASP

ASP is the world’s main trade organization for independent software developers and vendors, focused on providing know-how through various events and resources. Software professionals have access to helpful business information, and archives providing useful assistance to newcomers. ASP also functions as a liaison between software authors, microISVs, beginners and leaders, distributors and marketers facilitating contacts and sharing experience.

Bartels Media GmbH has released MultiMouse, a multi-user Windows application that lets up to 50 users use the mouse and keyboard on their PCs to control the desktop of a central computer. MultiMouse lets users work together on the common desktop of the central PC for training, brainstorming, collaboration, or document building.

Each user moves their mouse cursor out of their desktop to make it automatically appear on the common computer. Each mouse cursor has a customizable name tag, making it easy to know who is pointing to what on the shared computer screen.

Educators and trainers can use MultiMouse to work together with groups of students. MultiMouse turns a static classroom into an interactive learning environment, where each student can participate and contribute with classmates on a common SmartBoard. The teacher can use MultiMouse’s control panel to invite or block individual students.

Project teams can hold meetings that encourage two-way information flow.

Brainstorming increases the flow of fresh ideas, and problems that take weeks to solve in isolation can be solved interactively by the group in hours.

MultiMouse uses the wireless or Ethernet network connection to transmit each user’s mouse position and text input, with no additional hardware required. MultiMouse’s network communications are configured automatically. There’s no need for a network administrator to assign IP addresses or port numbers.

MultiMouse works on any combination of laptops, netbooks, desktops, or tablet PCs running any mix of Microsoft 32 or 64-Bit Windows 2003/XP/Vista/7.

Prices start at $139(US) for a 5-remote-user license, with 25- and 50-user versions available. Teachers are invited to request educational discounts. You can download a trial version of MultiMouse from http://www.multimouse.com/ .

For more information, contact Bartels Media GmbH, Im Treff 20, 54296 Trier, Germany Phone: +49 (651) 999 19-50 Email: info@multimouse.com
Internet: http://www.multimouse.com/.

The Federal Trade Commission has put the brakes on the business practices of an operation that was selling spyware and showing customers how to remotely install it on other people’s computers without their knowledge or consent.

The FTC is announcing a settlement that bars the sellers of the “RemoteSpy” keylogger from advertising that the spyware can be disguised and installed on someone else’s computer without the owner’s knowledge. It requires that the software provide notice that the program has been downloaded and obtain consent from computer owners before the software can be installed.

In 2008, the FTC filed suit against CyberSpy Software, LLC and its owner, Tracer R. Spence, alleging they were violating the law by advertising and selling RemoteSpy, a keylogger software program that the defendants touted as a “100% undetectable” way to “Spy on Anyone. From Anywhere.” According to papers filed with the court, the defendants provided their clients with detailed instructions explaining how to disguise the spyware as an innocuous file, such as a photo, attached to an e-mail. When the e-mail recipient clicked on the attachment, the RemoteSpy program was downloaded and installed without the victim’s knowledge. The spyware recorded every keystroke typed on an infected computer; captured images of the computer screen; obtained passwords, and recorded Web sites visited. To access the information gathered and organized by the spyware, RemoteSpy clients logged into a Web site maintained by the defendants.

The final Order bars the defendants from providing purchasers with the means to disguise the product as an innocent file or e-mail attachment. It also requires that they inform purchasers that improper use of the software may violate state or federal law. The final Order also requires the defendants to take measures to reduce the risk that their spyware is misused, encrypt data transmitted over the Internet, police their affiliates to ensure they comply with the order, and remove legacy versions of the software from computers on which it was previously installed.

The Commission vote to accept the final settlement Order was 5-0. The Order was entered in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.