MRIS MLS Safe Token On Its Way Out! So What's Next?

To all you of my friends, colleagues, and fellow Realtors out there living with Safe TokenMLS technology, I come to all of you with news of hope for a better day.

The MRIS MLS SafeToken Is In Its Last Months!!!

I couldn't have been reading it right?  But I squinted, rubbed my eyes and it was still on the official MRIS website.

"The Next Generation of Secure Login is Coming", the title said. (That's code for we're just 3 or 4 years behind most of the rest of the country).  Regardless of my feelings, the message was loud and clear...The MRIS MLS SafeToken was going to be phased out in months to come.

Before I Rejoice - I Ask MRIS For An Apology :-)

I would've appreciated a personal apology from MRIS, the largest andn most beaurocratic, MLS in the country.  I told them the whole SafeMLS token idea was a waste of money more than a year ago. I told them to spend more time coming up harsher penalties for the "cheaters". That Safe MLS Token would hold us back in a portable world.  I even told them I was tired of wearing my "SafeToken" in the shower -- but complaints went ignored...and I'm sure not just by me :-)  Perhaps it was the escalation of complaints, the pent up frustration of the past 15+ months with this "joke of a product", that led to the recent statements of "liberation"...

"We are pleased to announce that we are working on the next phase of secure authentication that will employ the latest technology…eliminating the need for tokens over time. The new technology will offer you the security of the traditional hardware tokens but in a more convenient manner. We’ll keep you posted over the next several months as we work on the upgrade to the latest innovation in MLS security"

Now What next MRIS?

When the first phase of The MLS Tokens failed many of us were perturbed that MRIS would continue to employ Clareity Security (the brilliant minds behind the SafeMLS Token revolution).

But MRIS is the boss so we all turned in our defective SafeMLS Tokens and received our SafeToken 2.0. It was the same device...but it was smaller and a different color -- and although the old  version's plastic exterior really brought out the blue in my eyes :-) , I didn't protest.

And now, despite the promissed MLS Token Departure, the relationship between MRIS and Clareity Security will continue. On the aforementioned's (ermmmm) website, there was another official announcement --

"MRIS customers will be able to simply enter their normal authentication credentials without the use of a hardware token."

I Think I know Where They're Going

After expressing my sorrow over the then new MRIS SafeMLS Token some 15+ months ago, Greater (IMHO the Greatest) Sacramento Real Estate Maven, Carolyn Gjerde-Tu, offered both condolence, empathy, and and a light of hope. She explained that the way she understood it at the time, her MLS was moving towards:

"a combination of security questions and from what [she understood] authentication of the user's hard drive." That the a user would be allowed to be registered to 5 computers but if on a non-authenticated computer, there would just a couple extra security questions to answer."

Many of you may already be familiar with a similar system. I sure hope you are if it's in lieu to being permanently attached to a Token...

Hang In -- The Safe MLS Token Will Not Last Long

But back to all of my friends, like Drew Hartanov, who still has use a  SAFE Token to access his San Clemente MLS, still living with the SafeMLS Token, I ask you to stay positive as your day is coming soon. Yes you can! The day when the freedom to access the information you paid for won't require a $2 LCD attached toyour hip...No it won't!! That if MRIS can change, any MLS board can change. Oh yes they will! Because when the 800llb ugly Gorilla of MLS's speaks, the rest will follow suit. The SafeMLS Token will be dead soon everywhere - and if I have anything to do with it, it will be a painful death :-) 

Who Still Has To Use Safe MLS Token?  And What Are Other "Security Solutions" Being Used Around the Country? 

Contributing Blogger - Kevin Koitz

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