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iPhone lockbox app on the way

By Christopher Johnston

Real Estate Agent with The Johnston Team

March 18, 2009 01:39 AM

6/24/09 UPDATE: Just got this link from SUPRA via their Facebook page. It appears the eKey for iPhone Basic will be released in August 2010 and the Pro version will follow in December 2010!

UPDATE: for those of you waiting check out this post eKey on iPhone, finally! at GeekEstateBlog.com and eKEY for iPhone is coming soon! from Supra.

For those of you that are iPhone users, I'm sure that you know that yesterday Apple released some info about the upcoming iPhone OS version 3.0.

There are many new features and you can watch the video over on the Apple site and get great reviews all over the web. My favorite is Ryan Block's at GDGT.com. The two things that I think are important for Realtors are:

1. Apple will now allow developers to access bluetooth to communicate with external devices

2. Turn by Turn directions

The first one has been what has kept Supra from being able to develop an application similar to the one on the Blackberry. I have spoken to (name withheld) at Supra and they have assured me that the app was being developed and wold be released pending Apple allowing this functionality. The iPhone 3.0 release will not be out until summer (hopefully June and not August) so I expect this app to follow shortly.

The second option is great for those of us who do not have navigation installed in our vehicles. Since the economy is not getting better quickly I'm not buying a car anytime soon. Garmin and TomTom have been developing proof of concept applications for the iPhone so I can assume they will be releasing apps this summer also. The one caveat here is, because of licensing issues these applications will have to provide their own maps. An entire map of the US stored locally could take up 750MB - 1GB of space. I have an 8GB version so this takes up as much as 12.5% of my storage.

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Anonymous

Dean

Joe:

You are correct, you will still need the e-fobe(ekey) to convert the bluetooth signal into infrared since only infrared signal will open the current Supra ekeys. So this mean you will need to carry 2 devices (same as people do now that have blackberries).

Infrared technology is old and most new phones do not have infrared ports anymore so the solutionto this is to get Supra to design an ekey that accepts bluetooth signals.

Jun 09, 2009 07:33 AM

#14

Anonymous

Andy Rudolph

I'll believe this once someone from GE securities posts it here. ;)

Greg R..... Just in case your reading this. I'm VERY willling to be a beta tester if you need one.

Jun 16, 2009 10:04 AM

#15

Christopher Johnston

The Johnston Team - Metairie, LA

Joe, you are correct that you will need to carry two devices. The e-fob can fit on a key ring I believe and the added benefit of having a superior platform like the iPhone(when compared to a Treo) far outweighs the slight inconvenice of having to carry one extra very small device.

Greg R., I will sent the link to this article to the Supra rep that I got this info from and encourage him to post a reply. I don't know if he is a member of ActiveRain and now that new members must pay he may not join just to reply to this thread.

iPhone 3.0 comes out today and as I look down at my phone it is about halfway through the update. We should know very soon if they will release an app using the e-fob that they already have or whether they are developing a new iPhone specific one.

Jun 17, 2009 06:41 AM

Anonymous

joe peffer

sapoWell everyone, it's been a month.

Does anyone know of any news in the iphone app to open lock boxes category?

Jul 15, 2009 06:32 AM

#17

Malisa Spivey

Key Real Estate Services & Property Management - Lorena, TX

My Opinions are Free and I Freely give them.

Oh I rewarded myself, but need I need to find a way to get addicted to the apps. I am wanting to be told what is super useful, versus just for fun, as I am not there yet. Give me time.

Sep 17, 2009 07:40 AM

Anonymous

Ben Harang

Does anyone have an update on an Iphone app to use it as an ekey on GE Supra Lockboxes? I have called GE Supra and the only comment they had is that their engineers are working with Apple engineers to determine if their software will work. Not sure how it can work with Blackberry but not the Iphone. I know that Apple resisted allowing third parties access to the bluetooth function on the Iphone, but that appears to have been resolved. Not sure why it is so difficult to use similare technology to the Blackberry for the Iphone. Any update???

Oct 30, 2009 03:06 AM

#19

Blatt + Cutino

Coldwell Banker Realty - Monterey, CA

Broker-Associate 831/206-8070*Call today*

I would love to hear more about the Supra App! Any news out there? Thanks.

Nov 10, 2009 04:31 AM

Ron E Armstrong

eXp Realty - Asheville, NC

Love Where You Live

Hello all,

Personally as an iPhone user I wanted to know what was available to our users. Here is a direct link to a helpful site that GE staff put together from answering agent questions over time. http://www.gesecurity.com/GESecurity/selfHelp/Support_Index.htm

They are currently in negotiations with Apple to develop software for the iPhone. So the update here is that there is no app for supra of GE.

Ron Armstrong

Dec 02, 2009 07:09 AM

Sam Miller

RE/MAX Stars Realty - Howard, OH

Knox County Ohio Real Estate Specialist

An iPhone lockbox app would be a home run. I like the idea of eliminating the need to carry another piece of hardware.

Dec 20, 2009 10:16 PM

Sam Miller

RE/MAX Stars Realty - Howard, OH

Knox County Ohio Real Estate Specialist

Has anyone heard an update on this?

Jan 23, 2010 12:46 AM

Greg Russell

GE Security - Salem, OR

Sam,

I can't provide firm dates at this point, however know that we are actively developing eKEY for iPhone. As soon as I have some dates I can share, I will do so.

Thanks,

Greg

Jan 25, 2010 06:48 AM

Sam Miller

RE/MAX Stars Realty - Howard, OH

Knox County Ohio Real Estate Specialist

Greg - Thank you for the follow up. This will be an outstanding feature enhancement and one your users will appreciate.

Jan 28, 2010 03:35 AM

Jeff Self

Self Homes Realty - Round Rock, TX

Hold out a little longer and you will see an app that will work with this IF case adapter and open the Supra Lockbox directly from iphone to lockbox. No FOB needed. http://www.powera.com/iphone/iphone.asp?section=0&prod=1

I bet iphone sales will see a bump!

Mar 01, 2010 07:47 AM

Anonymous

Marla Brown

I can't wait any longer. Hopefully they will have an Supra app soon for the Iphone.

Apr 12, 2010 06:38 AM

#27

Wayne B. Pruner

Oregon First - Tigard, OR

Tigard Oregon Homes for Sale, Realtor, GRI

Thanks for the post. I am researching Blackberry vs. I-Phone.

Apr 16, 2010 04:32 AM

Anonymous

Jay5ive

Still not Supra on the iPhone (it's May 2010). What a misleading article. So much for being "all but assured by a GE rep" ... wow.

May 10, 2010 01:53 PM

#29

Anonymous

Jay5ive

@Sam Miller

Besides that this newer eKey revision (when they went to the fatter white one a few years back instead of the small black one) has been NOTHING but a headache. It's the worst Supra e-key device they've ever made. The shelf life on the battery is literally like a day or two tops. The thing is terrible. I've had the old one on my Palm Pilot before it went kaput, have the blackberry fob, the smaller beeper sized e-key and the large fat white one, I can say with 100 certainty the only useful thing about this new fat key is the flashlight. I'd rather just update it myself over the phone rather than have to carry something that big with me at all times to pop lock boxes. In fact, in my office three associates have discontinued use of the GE Supra key and lock boxes because of the exorbinant fees and the new key. It's pretty bad when Realtors would rather use traditional coded punch boxes over Supra keys (if for nothing else the data mining so sellers know you are getting activity) because the key is that much of a hassle. Regardless of what anyone from GE or this social network says I'll believe there is an iPhone app when I'm popping lock boxes with it. Other than that, it's all just noise.

May 10, 2010 02:05 PM

#30

Anonymous

Terrence Murphy

I received an email from NewsGeni.us eBrief with the following claim that eKey is finally coming to IPhone.

http://www.newsgeni.us/articles/217/eKey_Coming_for_iPhone.html

May 17, 2010 05:56 PM

#31

Ben Rutt

Keystone Custom Homes - Manheim, PA

Real Estate Agent Lancaster, PA

Has anyone heard an update from GE? I don't see why this should be such a big hurdle. Even if it was a special case for the iPhone