Olympus DSS Player Pro R5 Is No Longer Supported
Remember back in April 2014 when Windows XP got the axe? Of course that didn’t mean XP would, all-of-a-sudden, stop functioning. It just meant that Microsoft was no longer providing “security updates or technical support for the Windows XP operating system.”
The same thing is happening to the Olympus DSS Player Pro Release 5 Dictation and Transcription applications. Olympus is cutting them loose on July 31st, 2014. They confirmed that they will “continue to provide technical support for all known issues”—but read that as a strict constructionist would. Absolutely no new bugs will be addressed.
There is a murmur of a possibility that Olympus will release another patch for R5.0.14, but consider it vaporware until it materializes. You know how these things are; we don’t want you to get your hopes up until there’s a firmer commitment. We’ll let you know.
At this time, I can quell any rumors about a possible new DSS Player Pro release. It’s just not going to happen.
What Do I Do Now?
Olympus has fallen, you say? By no means. Time marches on, so here are our recommendations for moving forward:
- As Douglas Adams would say, “Don’t panic.”
- In the short term, continue to operate as normal. It’s “end-of-support,” not “end-of-operation.”
- Begin considering an upgrade to the Olympus Dictation Management System Release 6, the successor to DSS Player Pro Release 5. Here are a few reasons why it’s better:
- A redesigned user interface
- Enhanced speech recognition capabilities (Dragon Medical Practice Edition 2 & Dragon NaturallySpeaking)
- Supports automatic software and firmware updates
- Features increased security with advanced encryption options
- Compatible with Windows 8.1