Moving beyond dongles: Why Emesent Aura 2.0’s new concurrent user licensing is a game-changer for Hovermap users
The latest release of Aura, Emesent’s data processing and visualization software, offers a better way to work with Hovermap LiDAR data. Gone are the days of a single user license tied to a physical dongle. Instead, teams will now have the flexibility to work with Aura around the clock and across multiple locations.
Ian Goebel
Client Success Team Lead
Greg Davis
Senior Product Manager
Ian Goebel, Client Success Team Lead, and Greg Davis, Aura’s Senior Product Manager discuss what the changes mean – and how teams can benefit – both for new and existing users.
Ian:
We’re getting a lot of questions from clients about the shift to concurrent user licensing in Aura 2.0. From a client success perspective, I’m seeing real excitement about moving away from physical dongles, but also some natural concerns about change.
What drove this decision from a product standpoint?
Greg:
It’s been a long time coming.
We kept hearing consistent feedback from users about the constraints of physical licensing. Teams needed more flexibility to share licenses between shifts, sites, and team members. Global operations particularly needed better ways to share licenses across different locations without geographic limitations.
Ian:
That resonates with what I’m seeing. For example, teams with global operations could have processing licenses sitting idle simply because they can’t efficiently share them between different time zones and locations. That’s the kind of operational friction we’re eliminating.
Greg:
Exactly. The concurrent licensing model transforms that scenario completely.
Now that same client can have their Sydney team processing data in the morning, check out the license, and their Vancouver team can pick it up for their afternoon shift. We’re talking about 12-hour to 12-day checkout options, so whether you’re doing daily surveys or monthly campaign work, the flexibility is there.
Ian:
From a client relationship standpoint, that flexibility is valuable. The transition itself is quite straightforward – we’re handling the technical setup, so it shouldn’t disrupt existing workflows.
Greg:
Exactly right. The process is designed to be simple. Every existing license converts directly to the new system – no one loses entitlements they’ve already paid for. We provide a straightforward transition form where organizations nominate their primary users.
Within three business days of receiving their invite email following the Aura 2.0 release, users will have their login credentials and can start inviting team members.
Ian:
And we have comprehensive support resources available – walkthrough videos, knowledge base articles, and dedicated support channels. While the transition is straightforward, we want to ensure teams have everything they need for a smooth experience.
Greg:
The technical architecture behind this is also more robust. Instead of worrying about dongle failures, users log in with their credentials from any device. Need to jump between your office workstation and a field laptop? No problem. Multiple team members need to collaborate on the same dataset across different shifts? The system handles check-in and check-out seamlessly.
Ian:
What I’m particularly excited about is how this changes the conversation with enterprise clients. Previously, scaling up meant ordering more physical dongles, waiting for delivery, managing inventory. Now it’s as simple as purchasing additional processing seats by contacting Emesent. For clients with fluctuating project demands, that agility is transformational.
Greg:
The ROI implications are significant. We’re seeing early feedback suggest better license utilization because teams aren’t constrained by physical device logistics. When you’re talking about enterprise-level licensing investments, those efficiency gains are meaningful.
Ian:
For clients reading this, the message is simple: we’re here to make this transition seamless.
Your focus should remain on delivering accurate results to your clients, not managing licensing logistics. That’s our job, and we’re committed to getting it right.
Greg:
Absolutely. This isn’t just a technical upgrade – it’s about removing friction between our clients and their success.
The future of LiDAR processing is collaborative, flexible, and accessible from anywhere. Aura 2.0’s concurrent user licensing is designed to enable exactly that.”
Greg davis, senior product manager
Are you an existing user ready to make the transition?
Getting started is straightforward. Submit your details through our transition form, and after Aura 2.0 is released, we’ll have your team set up with new account access within three business days.
Questions about the transition? Reach out to our support team – we’re here to help every step of the way.
