CSS Announces Upgrade Offer for Users of Old MS-DOS and Windows 3.1 Radio
Software
Users of HostMaster, KaWin, KaGOLD, PkGOLD and PC PakRatt Can Upgrade to the
Radio Operations Center Digital Desktop and Save 20 Percent
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 26, 2008 — Creative Services Software, Inc.
(CSS) today announced a special upgrade offer for licensed users of HostMaster,
KaWin, KaGOLD, PkGOLD and PC PakRatt software. With a valid serial number for
any of these older MS-DOS and Windows 3.1-based products, users can upgrade to
CSS’ Radio Operations Center (ROC) Digital Desktop™ for $79.95, a 20 percent
savings off the regular retail price of $99.95. The special upgrade offer will
expire on January 31, 2009. Radio operators can also take advantage of a free,
30-day trial of the software, but must complete their purchase by January 31,
2009 to take advantage of the upgrade pricing.
“A lot of radio operators still use old software that is no longer in
development and no longer supported, which limits their ability to keep up with
the latest in amateur radio technology,” said Rick Ruhl, CSS president. “All of
these older systems are built on the 16-bit MS-DOS or Windows 3.1 platforms of
the 1980s. As older PCs get retired and new radio technology continues to
evolve, it becomes less and less feasible to continue to run software that is
well more than a decade old.”
Because most of the old radio software programs are no longer in development,
amateur radio operators cannot take advantage of new features and new
capabilities without upgrading to advanced solutions like the Radio Operations
Center. Customer service is usually not available at all or available only from
other users rather than from software professionals. “If a radio amateur gets a
new PC, a new TNC or a new radio, there’s no guarantee their old software will
work at all,” Ruhl explained. “And even if they are able to run the software in
an emulation window, they’ll run into all kinds of limitations—like the
inability to multitask, or to work in full screen, for example. That can take a
lot of the enjoyment out of the radio hobby.”
CSS cites a number of features and benefits available in the Radio Operations
Center Digital Desktop that are not available in older software, including:
* The industry's most complete support for digital radio modes in one
comprehensive solution.
* Advanced radio, TNC and soundcard compatibility, supporting more
hardware than any other radio control software solution.
* Robust integration with other Windows applications and ham radio
tools such as logging programs and call books, supporting both binary and ASCII
file transfers as well as Windows cut-and-paste.
* The productivity advantage of 32-bit Windows multitasking that frees
operators to run other applications, including desktop software such as
Microsoft Office, while operating a transceiver at the same time.
* Support for more than 70 radios, with an on-going commitment to
adding compatibility for the latest radio technology as it develops.
* Better performance and reliability, thanks to ROC Digital Desktop’s
32-bit Windows operating system design. The Radio Operations Center is
available for a free, 30-day trialon the CSS Website and retails for $99.95.
The purchase of ROC Digital Desktop includes one year of e-mail or phone
technical support, access to the CSS user forum and free maintenance updates.
The $79.95 upgrade offer for licensed users of HostMaster, KaWin, KaGOLD,
PkGOLD and PC PakRatt software expires on January 31, 2009, regardless of how
long the trial software has been in use.
Visit www.cssincorp.com/offers/upgrade-the-old.html for more information, to
download the demo version, or to take advantage of the special upgrade offer.
CSS products are also available from many ham radio retailers and radio
equipment catalogs.
About the Radio Operations Center
The Radio Operations Center software suite from CSS is the only amateur, MARS
and commercial radio software solution that combines the integration,
automation and multitasking capabilities of Microsoft® Windows with the
flexibility and control to operate on multiple TNCs, soundcard and radio
hardware in all the digital modes. The Radio Operations Center allows users to
control radios, TNCs, rotors, and to access logging applications, call books
and more — all from within a single 32-bit Microsoft Windows application. The
software formerly known as PKTerm™ (for Timewave/AEA TNCs) and PacTerm™ (for
Kantronics TNCs) are now called ROC Digital Desktop™. Other Radio Operations
Center products include EmComm Ops, Marine Radio Opsand Weather Ops.
About CSS
CSS is a privately held software and technology consulting company specializing
in software connectivity for commercial and amateur radio operators; office
automation and network management solutions for business; and custom software
development for specialized Web and wireless applications.
