My plea to Apple and GE/Supra: eKey on iPhone.
The ultimate real estate phone?
Like most other professionals, I am faced with technological trade offs. A large line of devices compete for space in my pocket that used to just be for my wallet and keys. I was very happy when the smart phones came around and I was finally able to stop carrying a separate Palm Pilot that lived in a really clunky housing just to open lock boxes. Every time I’ve upgraded phones, I was wowed at first with new features I had but then disappointed at some other aspect of the phone/device.
The latest phone I have is the Palm Treo 800w. This is easily the best phone I’ve had to date. The reason that I chose this one is that it’s the only phone in the Sprint store with an infrared port. At the time, an infrared port was required on any device in order to open the iBox locks. Now, GE/Supra have released a key chain FOB which is a bluetooth to infrared adapter so real estate agents can now use their beloved Blackberries to open houses up for showings and previews. Whatever the case, my new Treo is awesome. It has GPS, it’s very small, lightweight and it has a decent thumboard. It would almost be the perfect phone if not for a couple fatal flaws. The first and worst is the battery life. It sucks. This phone has the worst and most unacceptable battery life I’ve ever encountered with a phone. I’m lucky to make it halfway through the day without sticking it on the charger. If I take the phone to Canada and don’t use the phone ALL day and then wake up in the morning, the phone is dead. The other flaws are minor in comparison but ragging on my Treo was not the point of this posting.
Enter the iPhone. At first glance it looks like the ultimate real estate phone. It has a great calendar system, needs no sync cables and Zillow’s new iPhone app just adds a cherry on top of it all. If you have not seen the Zillow iPhone app, you need to check it out. You open it up and get the values of homes you are walking or driving by in real time. Homes that are for sale or have “make me move” prices on them also show up. Zillow has upped the ante an truly made this the ultimate real estate phone except for one missing piece of the puzzle. There is currently no app for the iPhone that allows Realtors to unlock key boxes. For me, this would mean going back to the older style standalone eKey device. To me, this is completely unacceptable to have to carry two devices again. What would happen is that the eKey would be left at home on the cradle or somewhere else other than in my pocket where it needs to be.
Here is my plea to Apple and GE/Supra: Please put your heads together and get the eKey app up and running on the iPhone. Apple- You are missing a huge market of real estate professionals that would love to be sporting a shiny new iPhone. Furthermore, I know it seems like a step back in time but consider putting a full infrared port on your iPhone. I’ve seen countless times that people want to use their iPhone as a smart remote as well.
The last piece of the puzzle for me is the carrier. I know the iPhone will not be an AT&T exclusive forever. It’s just a matter of time. I’m on Sprint and as much as I like them, even I know an iPhone probably isn’t in their future. Apple Wireless Inc. anyone?
I know that Apple knows about this issue. I believe they are anxious to make these items work together to tap into a huge market of real estate professionals that would adopt the iPhone in a heartbeat. GE/Supra on the other hand… They did release the BT-to-Irda FOB so I do have some faith that they may be working on this.
Bravo!!! I couldn’t agree more! Even if we can’t get an IR port, at least give us an app so we can use the bluetooth to IR that GE made for Blackberry. I’ve found myself imagining how nice it would be a few times in the last year…
I am 100 percent in support of your article. I went out yesterday to see the new Palm Pre and it does not have a infrared port. I would love to move to a Iphone. I converted from PC to MAC a year ago and have not looked back. Would like to do the same with my phone.
Spoke with a Supra/GE tech guy recently. He says the problem of no Supra application for both the iPhone and the Palm Pre is not on the Supra end. He says that both Apple and Palm block developers from accessing the Bluetooth controls for those devices.
Why? He says that the cell phone carriers (AT&T and Sprint) don’t want programmers to have access to the Bluetooth controls because this will allow hackers to use their iPhones and Pre’s as modems for laptops. I believe this is called “tethering” and both AT&T and Sprint happen to sell special devices and expensive plans for customers who want to connect laptops to the web wirelessly.
My theory is that Apple and Palm are agreeing to block Bluetooth development by programmers because AT&T and Sprint don’t want these devices to cut into their revenue streams.
The GE/Supra tech, on the other hand, said he’s been told the reason is that the carriers don’t have enough bandwidth to allow the PDAs to be used as modems by laptops.
He said if Apple allows developers access to the Bluetooth controls for the new iPhone 3GS, a Supra eKey client could appear shortly thereafter. Of course, he wasn’t speaking under any official capacity but he said it would be simple to develop the application for the iPhone and many people are asking for it.
If anyone knows whether or not Apple is going to open up the bluetooth controls to developers for the iPhone 3GS, please leave a comment.
I was told today at the ATT store that a medical company is now converting all its people over to the iphone because of a new app that uses the bluetooth for something they use at the hospitals. I also was told that lifescan has an app that connects to its testing device for diabetics that connects via bluetooth. If these apps do – why can’t we use the efob like blackberry does and have an iphone app???
Can you tell what the best supra comapatible phone is at this time???? My 8525 just died and I need to replace it.
I still have my Palm Treo 800w for the moment. I like it because it has the infrared port and I don’t need a separate dongle/FOB thing. I didn’t like the short battery life and glitches but I got an extended battery off eBay and now the battery life is totally acceptable and comparable to any other phone out there. I used to have the Mogul but I’m not sure they make them anymore. Those are the only two somewhat current models which I have hands-on experience with.
Apple has already enabled the iPhone 3g and 3gS to tether as a result of the iPhone 3.0 software update. (http://www.apple.com/iphone/softwareupdate/) One of the additions via the software update is Internet Tethering via Bluetooth or USB. Note the footnote on the page though that says ” 4. Tethering is not currently offered in the U.S. and some other countries. See your carrier for availability.”
As mentioned it’s not an issue with Apple. It’s an AT&T issue. They don’t want to enable tethering either because of revenue or bandwidth (depending on how cynical you are). I truly believe it’s bandwidth because here in the Metro NY/NJ area I can speak from experience and tell you that AT&T’s cellular network is pretty much garbage.
As a techie and Realtor, WE NEED SUPRA eKEY for the iPhone. We should not have to regress to the ActiveKey.
I’ve been using the Palm Treo 755p and have not had much trouble with the battery life. However the palm software does have issues. It has an IR port and I love being able to use the supra ekey with it. It is the only reason I got the treo. I would like to buy an iphone, but I don’t want to have to carry the converter fob. If I wanted to carry a second device in order to open doors, I would just get the iphone and carry the ekey device. Apple should just put an IR port on the iphone.
Perhaps there is a enough demand for GE/Supra to develop an iPhone specific device that plugs into the bottom charging/USB/everything connector that emitted the infrared signal. Then we would just point the bottom of the phone toward the lock box instead of the top.
Works for me. I think there should be enough nationwide demand to spend the extra 5 cents on a proper IRDA port but that’s just me.
my thoughts exactly…any update on this that you have heard of?
My contract is almost up and I dream of the day the IP will work with my Real Estate Business…I’d like to give Verizon the boot! I know there are many others that feel the same way I do!!!
@Tim
The new 3.0 software for the iPhone does allow bluetooth to be used with other devices for peer-to-peer connectivity. Internet tethering is not related to this issue at all. The iPhone does not have an IR port and that is the main issue here and I doubt one will be added to later versions of the iPhone since most people don’t need it. At this point we will be needing a lockbox that works with bluetooth and the makers of that lockbox will need to create an App that allows the phone to access the device.
It’s funny they switched us to the irda keyboxes to “get us ready for the future”. The technology was already waning by that point though. I think switching to bluetooth boxes at this time would cause a huge uproar. (as usual)
We are developing a new web based iPhone real estate app, and my partner/realtor really wants this so he can demo our software on an iphone/Palm Pre/G1/Droid, etc. AND replace his blackberry FOB supra system as well.
I agree with the latest idea above, but this this refinement. Why not an cell accessory that converts bluetooth to IR. it could be generic and useful for many other industries as well as real estate lockboxes.
ActiveKey will be the end to eKey in your area… I’m already seeing it in use by the agents around LA and SF Bay areas. The newest lockbox device from GE uses its own data connection to keep updated and also receives real time listing visitor info. The real time showing info is nice but not enough reason to carry another device. To me, the ActiveKey will actually be a downgrade, as it will require me to (once again) carry two devices. Wasn’t that the whole point? One device that does both?
I love the Palm eKey solution which I am using now, but I am very jealous of the iPhone’s style and capability. I almost feel excluded due to my infrared requirement. I wish I could plug in an external infrared port into the iPhone.
I agree completely. ActiveKey would be a huge downgrade for me but so far I have not seen any sign that they will discontinue support for ekey at this point. It wouldn’t make any sense since they charge way more money for it. We just switched over to ActiveKey this week though so only time will tell.
http://homesafari.us/blog/2009/10/about-the-iphone-g1-palm-pre-problem-with-ge-supra/
Here is the new solution!
With the parts coming into place, perhaps realtors can help us push in the right direction.
I have been reading the comments on this site and I found a website whereby they have developed an infared device for the iphone…not sure if it really work but here is the link to the website with a video demo on the device. http://uiremote.wordpress.com/
I’ve recently created a Facebook Group called, “25K+ Realtors need a Supra eKey iPhone app!”. Join the group and help send a message to Apple, AT&T and GE that we’re tired of waiting and want the same functionality offered to Blackberry and Windows smart phone users.
Nothing says hip, tech-savvy Realtor like carrying around lock box key that looks like one of those JitterBug phones your grandma might carry!
There are threads like this one all over the internet, but let’s start a movement in a place where these companies might take notice – Facebook!
Join us! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=180785253239
I was told yesterday by a GE tech rep that the ekey for the iphone will be out soon. It will plug into the headphone jack. No date but soon.
Mike,
Hope you are right…was on the phone with GE Supra today. Told them there is a quickly expanding group of agents who have switched (and our numbers are increasingly rapidly). We want our iPhones and we want them to open our lockboxes. Would love to hear more, Mike!
Mike that would be awesome. I just talked to Supra and they said the ball is not in their court it is in Apple’s. I switched from my treo 680 to the iphone and I can not tell you how many times I forget the ekey when i walk out the door. I went to my open house yesterday and put out all my signs then went to go unlock the door. Opps!
I use the 755P and love it. It ain’t the Iphone, but I love having everything in one phone to unlock boxes and somewhat awkwardly access the web and email. I recently dropped my phone that I’ve had for over a year on a tile floor and the touch screen functions stopped working. I bought a brand new phone locally off of Craigslist for $120. This is going to be my continuing solution, either the 755P or the Centro until Supra, or whoever, makes a change with the need for the IR port. Many people in my office of about 70 agents are slowly leaving the Palm platform behind and moving to the Iphone and back to the separate keypad for unlocking boxes. I know people like the Zillow app for the Iphone. I will be following the possibility of the Iphone moving to other cell companies. I wouldn’t sign a contract with ATT ever, even if they paid me $500!!
What about the Droid and other new android phones? Any news on if they have an app in the works?
I would have died on gone to heaven if Mr. Apple gets an app for the gesupra ekey. Having everything in one unit is great especially for forgetfully people,(me)My Palm 755P is dying but I will not give it up. It fell I can only communicate on speaker ohone but alas I press on with the all in one. I wait alert ready for the iphone and it’s app for supra ekey at Verizon.
I would love to have an iphone for the same reason.
I saw a new iPhone app in the app store that is supposed to be a universal remote and says that it needs a new INFRARED enabled case that will be available Feb 23 in the Apple stores. If this is true, then supra should be apple to make an app that can take advantage of this! I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I use a Palm treo 680, but it locks up a LOT and the batter life sucks.
Anybody know if this is figured out yet? I’m seeing some devices online now that you plug in to the iphone for infrared and you can use it as a Universal Remote. But can you use it for lockboxes yet??!
Do you happen to have a link handy to one of these devices? Please post it here.
@Levi
Supra screwed up big time by adding the IR.
Or did they? They still charge $17 to subscribe to their service.
This is a case where open source would had lead to innovation.
I asked Supra last month when the Droid would be able to open lockboxes and was told they were working on it but it would take a year.
Geez. They are SOOOOOO far behind the times with this stuff. I hate being forced to use crappy old hardware for the sake of having a single device. I finally bit the bullet and gave up for the moment and got a display key. That thing is truly a cheap piece of crap. I’ve heard many accounts of it failing if you leave it off the charger for a few days. That’s bad hardware design in my opinion. There is no reason that GE, with all their resources can’t at least make a stable device for those who can’t go the smart phone route for one reason or another.
I would rather not be dependent on GE Supra.But, we don’t have a choice if we want to open doors.
I’m with you 100%. Unfortunately, we have to pick SOME vendor. Thus far, I haven’t seen much to say that it doesn’t meet the primary goal of securing our client’s properties. But it’s annoying that security comes at the price of our convenience…
I have not read every post above but from a quick glance I do not see any mention of the new device that is supposed to be ready in August 2010. Link below.
http://www.ekeyprofessional.com/ekeyiphone.html?utm_source=se&utm_medium=se&utm_campaign=iphone
Great find Tony! I had not seen that yet. I’m not sure to be pleased or disappointed. I’m so glad it’s not a bluetooth FOB though. Yuck!
Soon you will be able to use your iPhone to open Supra lockboxes. Send an email to iphone@ekeyprofessional.com with “iPhone” in the subject line to be added to our notification list.* We will be sending out updates on product features, availability and more.
eKEY Basic for iPhone will be available in late August of 2010.
eKEY Professional will be available in December of of 2010.