Hello, been using my ISY with Alexa for sometime now over a year).   However I received an email message recently stating my license is expiring.  I ignored it figuring it was some sort of marketing scam.   Well, my license did expire and I no longer can control my devices via voice through Alexa.   All scenes and programs and devices are still active and running in ISY.     What happened?  I do not recall purchasing a license agreement when I first set it up.   I do not want to pay an annual license fee just to control my lights through Alexa.   Am I all wet here?   Is there really an annual license fee?   If so does anyone know another tool/software package that can take ISY portal's place.   

FYI - Mobilinc Connect requires a license fee as well. Both it and UDIs Portal are subscription based.

Like UDI - it’s to offset the cost of running the cloud resources necessary for the integration to Google Home and Alexa work.

You can avoid fees by using free services (like ifttt) but I know that can be significant processing delays thru services like that. It’s also much more effort to setup.

In my opinion, the cost of admission is well worth it.

1 hour ago, Bonedaddy said:

Hello, been using my ISY with Alexa for sometime now over a year).   However I received an email message recently stating my license is expiring.  I ignored it figuring it was some sort of marketing scam.   Well, my license did expire and I no longer can control my devices via voice through Alexa.   All scenes and programs and devices are still active and running in ISY.     What happened?  I do not recall purchasing a license agreement when I first set it up.   I do not want to pay an annual license fee just to control my lights through Alexa.   Am I all wet here?   Is there really an annual license fee?   If so does anyone know another tool/software package that can take ISY portal's place.   

It's always been a paid service so if you had it then you paid for it at some point. As pointed out, it can be done without the portal. You'll just have to do the work yourself in regards to getting it up and running.

I believe the hue emulator nodeserver would allow you to use Alexa without the portal. For that, you'd need 5.0 firmware branch, a RPI ( or polisy), and network module

Thank you Lilyoyo1 for your quick response.   I paid for it initially of course.   I didn't realize I was committing for only one years use.  I thought it was a purchase not a paid service.   Thanks for confirming  this for me.   Looks like I screwed up.   I will look into the HUE emulator not sure what RPI or Polisy is but I will research those  too.    Thanks for taking it easy on this Newbee.

Also thanks to MWareman.  I will reconsider the, as you put it,  "cost of admission" .

1 hour ago, MWareman said:

In my opinion, the cost of admission is well worth it.

Easily. I already make excellent use of ISY Portal-Polisy-Nodeservers and I am excited about all that is (hopefully) coming. I take my hat off for the nodeserver community and as we are talking about $$, I'd find it normal if there would be a charge for well working nodeservers.

On 1/31/2020 at 7:36 PM, Bonedaddy said:

<snip>I didn't realize I was committing for only one years use.  I thought it was a purchase not a paid service.   <snip>

ISY Portal licence is (currently) 2 years for $20 (so $10/year). That's not bad considering what it allows you to manage. 

As it's been said...well worth it to help maintain current connectivity and possibly benefit future development. 

 

Geddy,  Yep you are right.   I didnt know what the cost was.   Sounds like a deal.  I consider myself educated now.   Thanks all.