The AuthServ is something I’m working on that will replace the elevator unlocker. It’s basically like an extension of the unlocker in the sense that it will still generate and give you your elevator serial number, but it will also act as an “authorization server.”
Why am I going this route? Well, elevators will still work with the old notecard method that the unlocker used so you don’t have to change if you don’t want to. But, the purpose of the AuthServ is to rez it in the same region as your elevators and they will talk back and forth instead of you having to manually insert your serial number into the notecard of the elevator. This means you will have to leave one (copyable) AuthServ rezzed somewhere in each region that has an elevator.
At first this probably seems like a huge pain, but I have some ideas for new products that will use this AuthServ technology which means they will be rez-and-go as far as activation is concerned. The only products that will require the use of the AuthServ will be products that have builders versions. This means if you buy a building that has many different AuthServ-enabled Union Micro products in it, you will just have to rez your AuthServ somewhere in the same region and everything will work.
Yes, you read that right – one AuthServ for many products. Buying an AuthServ is like buying a general license to use many Union Micro products. At this point in time it may seem like not much of a bargain, but if we end up with a dozen AuthServ products you’ll be happy that your single AuthServ activates every single one of them! This also means that the unlocker will likely be removed from the elevator script package (and the price dropped accordingly) and will become an entirely separate product.
The price of the AuthServ will also increase over time as it activates more and more products, so it’s in your interest to buy early! Don’t worry if you already own an unlocker, you will be able to upgrade your unlocker to an AuthServ free of charge!
The AuthServ is planned to be very low prim (probably a single prim) and will have copy and modify rights so you can modify it to fit your decor (or hide it entirely). It will also have a single basic script that won’t eat away at simulator resources.
If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions about the direction of this product, feel free to send me an instant message in-world or post in the forums. Also keep in mind that I don’t have the “business model” for the AuthServ completely thought out so some of the above may change (especially with user input).
Update: AuthServ has just evolved from an in-world object to an off-world PHP script and database. Should be a lot more versatile and more user-friendly in the long run. Considering that, progress on the project has went from 90% to 10%… booo!