Olympus Release Dictation App v2 - What is ODDS?

Olympus globally recently released an update to their iOS app followed a few days later by an Android update to v2.0.0 and with it came some confusion for people using the app to solely record and email audio. If you need some help with Olympus ODDS configuration or what the new changes mean, you are reading the right blog.

What is Olympus ODDS?

Although the app can still send audio via email, it will no longer do so via the mobile device. Instead, it will rely on a (subscription) service called Olympus ODDS (Olympus Dictation Delivery Service). To use ODDS each user will require a licence. This isn’t just a money-grabbing subscription bandwagon jump by Olympus, ODDS has been around for a while, there is a good reason for the change:

Additional security for medical and legal users creating confidential dictation

Users who used to record and email from the pre v2 app did so using the .m4a audio format. Although like most file transfers these days, end-to-end delivery of the audio is encrypted, but the dictation audio file itself is not. The .m4a format is open and can be easily played using a raft of cross-platform digital audio players.

That is great unless your audio contains confidential client or patient details which requires some additional security measures.

That is where ODDS comes in, it uses the .ds2 (DSS Pro) audio format and will be able to individually encrypt the audio files. Without the password, nobody will be able to play and listen to the audio, essential for the legal and medical users of the digital dictation systems from Olympus (and also Philips and Grundig).

Why do I have to register for a 60 day trial of ODDS?

So, if you have been using the free version of the app and have recently upgraded to v2 you will see this:

Please register for an ODDS trial. During the trial period, you will be able to test the full functionality of the service. After your 60-day trial, you will be required to purchase an annual licence in order to continue using the ODDS

This means that you can now register and receive 100 trial licences. Trial licences run for 60 days and at the end of the trial you have the option to keep none, some or all of your trial licences. You will just need to buy the corresponding number of ODDS licences to the number you want to keep. An ODDS licence costs NZ$179 incl. GST

The licences themselves are managed via an Olympus web portal – www.dictation-portal.com – and from within this portal a user (with one licence) or office/practice manager (with many licences) can manage individuals ODDS licence configuration. The configuration includes who to send the audio to, how to send the audio (by email or SFTP transfer), the audio format (.ds2 or .dss), audio encryption settings (password and 128 or 256 bit). It can be confusing, but help is at hand with Dealer Management.

What is Dealer Management in the Olympus Dictation Portal?

You can enable dealer management in the Olympus Dictation Portal which allows for your favourite Olympus dealer (hopefully us) to view and configure your ODDS licences for you. You just tell us what you need, i.e. new licences setup or old licences changed and we will do that for you, for free as long as you buy your ODDS licences from us. Remember, licences run for one year so you may need some changes during that year. Licences can also be transferred, so if a team member leaves and a new team member joins, we can transfer the licence over for you.