Reviews of Ascendo DataVault Password Manager for iPhone, BlackBerry, Mac & Windows Desktops

iPhone App Store Reviews

Store your life in here!
by ncav - iTunes App Store
"I keep everything in DataVault - from passwords, to insurance info, to frequent flyer programs, to credit cards, to gate codes... This is an invaluable part of digital life, allowing me to maintain security (i.e. separate passwords for various sites) with access to every piece of information at my fingertips without needing to go searching or worrying about prying eyes!"

Great program 
by juboulet01 - iTunes App Store
"DataVault is the app I was waiting for! I tried some apps for different groups, but I was never satisfied. Now with DataVault, I feel confident keeping all my passwords & information in the same place, knowing it is safe. Also, the interface is very clear, well organized, so it is very convenient to use. I like it!"

Which Password Keeper/Wallet/Vault do you use?

"I'm now a committed user of DataVault. Their product is very flexible, has templates for easy adaptation, the conversion function is bloody amazing, and the support is beyond any product in its price range that I've ever seen. These guys rock. If you are undecided about a product, check DataVault out." by Marty.Brown

"I will vouch for Ascendo DataVault over anything. I tried EVERYTHING prior and DataVault definitely took the cake for me, as well as many other colleagues of mine.
Highly recommended!" by 328iGuy

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Ascendo DataVault - Password Manager for BlackBerry

"Are we people or are we numbers? In this world what’s more important? Both actually, but it has become increasingly important to protect the former by securing the latter. The need to make passwords more complex has become crucial as well."

Ascendo DataVault also allows you to set up a password “hint” to remind you that your password is your mothers, brothers, third baby-sitter’s second pet dog’s name. Another important option is to set a security time out (which I highly recommend) with a time frame between 1 minute and 60 minutes.

You are now ready to protect your vital information. You can enter them using the basic format, assigning/adding categories, types and icons, or use DataVault’s intuitive templates. 

All of your information in DataVault is stored in an encrypted file. This file utilizes a U.S. Government sanctioned AES encryption code making DataVault one tough nut to crack. How tough you ask? Let’s just say it would take Deep Thought a fraction of the time to come up with the ultimate answer to Life, the Universe and Everything. Keep in mind that it did take Deep Thought approximately 10 million years to calculate the answer. More information on AES can be found here.

Another key feature, which was included in DataVault’s latest update is the ability to email an item to someone else who is using DataVault in DataVault Exchange Format. Or encrypt and decrypt your emails to and from fellow users (you little international spies you).

"Hands down, way down, this is an amazing piece of software. I used to use BlackBerry’s Password Keeper, but Ascendo DataVault just offers so much more. I know that my info will be under a virtual lock and key and will never have to worry about a security breach in my lifetime.  It’s solid interface, umpteen personal preferences to choose from and air tight security make this an absolute critical piece of software to have on your BlackBerry."

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Pinstack Review - Ascendo DataVault Reviewed
Source: Pinstack.com

"One of the most important issues in the electronic data world is securing personal information. We hear stories about someone’s identity being stolen on a daily basis. And some analysts put loses at more than $1 billion each year.

Ascendo’s DataVault application is the perfect solution for both the Blackberry device and the accompanying desktop sync... DataVault on the blackberry is a very simple to use, but powerful application.

Information can be displayed in Tree or List views. Options for expand/collapse view, setting number of fields to display in list view, are but a few of the many ways to have your data visible on your blackberry.

Need some extra email security? Well the latest version of DataVault provides Encryption & Decryption of emails using Blackberry email client. How cool is that?"

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Ascendo DataVault Reviewed
Source: BlackBerryCool.com

The Best Continues to get Better...
Source: BlackBerryForums.com

For every category of software, a "gold standard" eventually emerges that all other offerings are judged against. Word Processing has MS Word, photo-editing has Photoshop, etc. In the category of secure password manager software for BlackBerry handhelds, I think DataVault is the "gold standard".

I just upgraded to version 4.36 of DataVault, and I am impressed with the many new features that were added.

I am even more excited about the fact that some of the new improvements directly incorporate product suggestions I made on the previous version I was using. I am sure many of the other improvements/refinements are the result of customer input as well. The continuous and frequent upgrading of this software product is proof that Ascendo believes the end-user experience is a very high priority.

Many of the features in the latest release, specifically things like being able to select/open items by clicking the trackball, and scrolling both vertically and horizontally within the application may seem like small things to some, but in daily use, it is these type of usability enhancements that set this product far above any of the alternatives.

There may be other software out there that can do the same job, but DataVault does it with refined proficiency, and it looks prettier too. Also, I think it is safe to say that I have never seen an application developed for handheld devices that offers the degree of customization and personalization of the interface that is present in DataVault. Again, you don't need it, but it is sure nice to have it. And none of this clutters the user interface or bogs down your RAM.

When I first purchased DataVault, I figured it would be a suitable password manager that I would access maybe once a week if necessary to look up a password I forgot. But the interface and user experience is so good, and the ability to store a wide variety of sensitive data is so flexible, that I find myself using DataVault almost daily.

If you are looking for an excellent secure password manager, DataVault should be at the top of your list.

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Review of Cryptmagic and Ascendo DataVault Password and Data Storage Solutions for BlackBerry
Source: Stinsonddog's BlackBerry Tips

"The DataVault desktop is more eye catching, and offers more features on both the desktop and BB (BlackBerry)."

"DataVault on the other hand has not only caught up with them (Cryptmagic), but seems to have passed them. Why? They give you options, and generally options means personal preferences. In my non-scientific tests with my 235 entries, DataVault is slightly faster on the BB, assuming you choose the search method "By 1st Character" and not "On String" as explained below. DataVault also has the better desktop right now. DataVault has a more comprehensive user guide also that describes the features of the program."

"Both Cryptmagic and Ascendo DataVault use Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), the same method chosen the US Government’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) while SplashID uses the weaker Blowfish encryption method."

"Cryptmagic doesn't offer a List View for the desktop like they do for the handheld. DataVault provides a Tree View and List View..."

"DataVault comes with 20 pre-defined templates, and it’s a breeze to add more as you like. These are easy to create and modify. This allows a little more flexibility in that for each type in a category you can have different templates, whereas in Cryptmagic you would be creating an additional template."

"Cryptmagic uses the search of 1st character method, while DataVault has given the user a preference to select search method on "1st character (default)" or "On String".

"DataVault has a unique BB feature that allows you to have a master password reset and wipe all the data if you forget both your password and the hint. For Cryptmagic and SplashID, you would have to uninstall the program to do a wipe."

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Best eWallet for (BlackBerry) Pearl?
Source: BlackBerryForums.com

"I have had experience with several of these products on different platforms (Windows Mobile, Palm, and now BlackBerry). So far, DataVault has been the best one of these that I have used.

SplashID was a decent product, but the user interface left a little to be desired IMHO. It basically only supports list views, which makes it difficult to quickly zero in on the specific password data you are trying to find ....I just felt like the PC desktop program for SplashID wasn't very "refined" looking. Yeah, it did the job, but sort of looked like a 1st-generation Windows application (like from 1993).

DataVault, uses AES encryption, which is a very strong encryption algorithm, and superior to "blowfish".

Also, the interface in DataVault is really intuitive and easy to work with. DataVault offers a list view, but the "Tree" view is so good, and makes it so easy to find what you are looking for...

DataVault also comes with a large number of pre-defined templates that cover most types of information that you would store in a program like this. These are also 100% customizable... One thing I really liked was the ability to be able to choose to mask/unmask (i.e. where it shows dots instead of actual characters on your screen) any of the information items in a given template. I think this is more flexible than SplashID which masks your password field by default, but not other fields.

There are some other features that are really "minor details" but which show how much effort has been put into this software by its developer. Things like an onscreen keyboard for inputting your master password into the Desktop application. This allows you to type your password with your mouse, so you can prevent it from being captured by any keystroke logger software that may be present on your system.  ....you can store your password data file in any directory that you choose... Other programs I have used/seen require your password data to be located in "My Documents"... These are obviously easy to find, and could be stolen to be hacked into later. 

As for looks, the desktop and handheld interfaces look really nice....I like it when a software developer cares enough about their product to make sure that it not only works well, but looks good too.

I had a large number of passwords stored in SplashID that I had to move to DataVault. Exporting these out of SplashID and into DataVault was a fairly simple process.

Their (Ascendo) support staff was very responsive, got back to me within hours to say they had been able to duplicate the issue and were working on it, and then provided a fix that completely resolved it about 2 days later (over a weekend I might add).

So my recommendation is DataVault. I hope this information is helpful."

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Review of Ascendo DataVault
Source: BBHub.com

"DataVault is quite a bit more convenient in a number of ways than Password Keeper."

"The nice thing about DataVault is that it's a breeze to keep data synchronized between the two."

"The database where your passwords are actually stored is a highly encrypted file that uses AES encryption which is currently approved for use by the United States Government. This basically means that it would take several millenniums for someone to crack the encryption in your password file."

"The "find as you type" feature in the program (both on the PC and the BlackBerry) make searching for that bit of information lightning fast."

"There's a ton of other features that you'll notice when you use the app - backup/restore, import from other applications and formats - even a built-in password generator to create a secure password when you need one."

"The thing that sets apart certain software companies from others is their ability and motivation to make regular improvements to their products. Ascendo is no slouch when it comes to improvements."

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DataVault - Great app, great support
Source: BlackBerryForums.com

"Unfortunately, the popularity of using credit cards over the Internet has caused many banks to adopt tougher anti-fraud measures in the form of personal ID numbers (PINs)."

"Thank goodness, for every action, there is a reaction. A product called the Ascendo Data Vault allows anyone to keep all of bank accounts, credit card, logins and other personal information securely."

"Ascendo Data Vault is very straight forward. Simply input all information via a an application on a PC or even use a Blackberry wireless device."

"The information is updated and synchronized by docking the Blackberry unit using the standard Blackberry Desktop Manager application. I love the way all the information can be sorted in a customizable manner (with familiar folder trees) using categories and titles you decide."

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Password Keeper Application
Source: BlackBerryForums.com

"I am using Ascendo DataVault for last many days and I am really happy with the product. Before selecting the product I tried as many applications (trial versions) of similar kind as possible and finally I selected DataVault. The factors that make this product better than the most are as below:

1. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) - Strongest in the market. It is not just password protection of the application, it is also data protection.
2. Asks for password even when you synchronize with PC.
3. Synchronization with PC is two-way and extremely efficient.
4. Good user control while Synchronization. You get dialog boxes asking for confirmation of the change.
5. Option for both Tree View & List view. Navigation is much easier with the visual aid offered by the tree.
6. Searching is faster than most of the other applications available.
7. Lots of configurable options.
8. Though you can take advantage of using existing templates but using templates are not mandatory while creating a new entry.
9. Exceptional customer support. Just email your queries ... you will get a reply."

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Positive DataVault Experience
Source: Pinstack.com

"...Your product offers greater flexibility both graphically and functionally. It appears by watching your product over the last few months that Ascendo has a greater commitment to furthering the development and enhancement of Data Vault. Data Vault appears to offer a wider range of options when creation templates and though I haven’t used the desktop portion yet my assumption is that the PC version will be equally has robust. I should have looked more closely at Data Vault before purchasing Cryptmajic. Though I do believe that Cryptmagic is a good BASIC security program and that is appealing when trying both products before making a decision on which to buy because initial set up is more cookie cutter".

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Customer Reviews

"I used SplashID for almost a year. It was slow to open and cumbersome to use on my bb. The interface was completely impractical and there were issues with syncing. DataVault has a beautiful interface, opens fast, is much more intuitive and is a dream for finds. I have several hundred records to manage, so this is the perspective I bring."

"I used DataVault when I was on a BlackBerry. When I moved to the iPhone, I wanted the app badly. I was able to get into the beta and knew from early on that this was going to be a great app! Now that it's finally available in the app store, I recommend that if you need a password manager, you get this app! Not only is the app everything I need, you can also get the DataVault desktop (windows only?) and sync with the iPhone database! The desktop app imports many different file formats [Turbo Passowrds, SplashID, eWallet, Cryptmagic, Roboform] that you can then send to your iPhone."

"I was happy using my old phone just for calls until my Daughter showed me her Blackberry with this app and I had to have it. iPhone doesn't offer it so I went with the Blackberry instead of the IPhone just to get it. I have a huge amount of secret information that I need at my fingertips so I was lugging an encrypted notebook most everywhere. I would have paid a serious amount of money for this app and these dummies only charged a few bucks. I would give up sex and buttered popcorn before I'd go back to carrying that notebook around again. My family has been running this on our desktops and Blackberrys for weeks syncing without incident."

"DataVault for iPhone is the BEST! I used it on my BlackBerry and my Desktop for years and loved it BUT when I switched to the iPhone 2 years ago I was horrified that it wasn't available! I tried 2 other apps in the meantime but uggg, they were not near as good as DataVault... I checked every couple of months to see if Ascendo had joined the iPhone Applications and finally on day.... YAY!!! There is was!! I bought it an installed it!! I had a couple of questions regarding syncing to my desktop since my version was outdated but I emailed Ascendo and they got right back to me with specific instructions! The app is easy, user friendly, looks great and is a secure way to keep your data with you on the go. THANKS ASCENDO!!!"

"I purchased my first Blackberry about two months ago and needed to find a password program that would handle hundreds of passwords I had stored on my PC in another program. I found DataVault and they had already thought of that. There was a small glitch with the import and I emailed them and had a response within hours. Their support team worked with me until the import worked perfectly. This kind of customer support is hard to find anymore. Thank you Ascendo!"

"After email, this is the most important application on my mobile device. Being able to sync it with the desktop version on my PC makes it that much better. I use it on a daily basis, since I have long ago passed the point where I can remember all my userids, passwords, frequent flyer numbers, etc. If, like me, you are a previous BlackBerry user, you will find the transition easy enough. I needed a little help because I was using an older version on my BB, but the customer service was amazingly prompt in responding to my email. You won't regret choosing this."

"When switching to a Blackberry Curve from many years of Window's PDA's, the first application I knew that I needed to replace was my password manager. I needed something that could import years of entries and be easy to use since I lean on these applications heavily. I tried out several programs but DataVault was far superior. After purchasing it, I had questions regarding importing my old data and received responses from the company within hours. My issues were solved very quickly with an email from their support even being sent at 2am.Great product and even better product support. Something that is too rare these days. Highly recommended!" 

"Capabilities are far beyond a simple password manager, with hotlinks to websites, great category flexibility. I was also able to import my data from another program flawlessly, which a few other programs could not do. Customer Service was also excellent when I ran into a glitch with registration (my fault!)."

"This product is nothing short of AMAZING... stable, fully customizable, and you can actually enter your data on your pc and transfer to your Blackberry - what a time saver! Every 3rd party app for the bb should be this good!!"

"This awesome program is tremendously easy to use. I love the way that it categorizes the entries and makes it extremely easy to create custom categories for everything that doesn't fit. Besides the fact that this is A+ software (that has saved me on numerous occasions) it has tremendous programmer support. I emailed a question and received an answer within 1 hour! Now that is what I call support."

"DataVault is great! Easy to enter data and the display makes it easy to retrieve it. I have previous experience with other programs, and DataVault tops them all!"

"I had a problem with DataVault's Blackberry interface so I communicated this to Ascendo and in less than two days the issue was resolved. Ascendo demonstrated the highest level of customer service I have ever received from any company. Excellent support and the product performs exactly as promised."

"I recently moved from Windows Mobile to BlackBerry due to an employer change. I had used a popular, similar Windows Mobile product for many years and relied on this information daily. I was desperate to find something to store all of my data so it would be accessible on my new BlackBerry Curve. I purchased another product before realizing that there were field size limitations that really limited my use of that product. DataVault is a very flexible product and the import program worked well for getting the data from my old program into DataVault at least in a generic way. The string search capabilities make finding any card very fast and the field descriptions and input sizes including notes are generous which was important for me given the variety of card types that I use. Graphically, there are prettier solutions on the market but not for the BlackBerry platform. I also think that what you gain in beauty, you might lose in flexibility. DataVault uses a consistent card format for every card. Templates provide for pre-populated field names and the product comes with several which can be changed or added to by the user. It would be nice to have the ability to select field types for some of the fields (e.g. password field, date field, note field, etc.) which would simplify the entry of these types of fields (especially dates which could be entered using a date scroll box) I considered rating this product with 4 stars as there are some areas that can be improved. However on the basis that I believe it is the best BlackBerry product available and the excellent and timely responsiveness of Ascendo customer support, I have rated the product with 5 stars. I know I will be happy with this product going forward."

"I used KeyPass before, but this totally blew KeyPass out of the water. If you already purchased another product, they will also give you a hefty discount to switch. This one also has the desktop version included with easily syncs to your BB. I use BB 9000 with OS .247 with no problems."

"Even if you are not an engineer, account manager, rocket scientist you can get a grip on this indispensable tool. Fair and simple.....IT WORKS!. forget about forgetting passwords, loggings, codes...it's all in one clean and neat product. Secure and encrypted finally I feel safe while carrying all my sensible info. I can recommend this product 100% knowing it's the best investment you have done on your BlackBerry set of tools. If you are a busy or absent minded person like me, you will find heaven in this soft."

"I recently switched to Ascendo DataVault v3.55 from a competitive product. I had passed on my comments to Ascendo on the previous release and I'm amazed at how responsive the company has been in making changes. I am staying with DataVault primarily due to the following reasons: 1) I love the tree view. Navigation is much easier with the visual aid offered by the tree. I find that the tree representation works much better than the simple list view filtering technique. 2) The synchronization has much more user control than is available under other some vendor's products. I have at least three PCs that I use and at any given time I may be synching with any of them. I find that being able to choose that my Blackberry or PC can win on conflicts in invaluable. Forcing the issue feels much better than 'trusting' that everything will work. 3) I can read it on my Pearl! My Blackberry default font is used within the application. This may sound like a joke but it is pretty significant. The product I switched from uses 'canned' fonts which I simply can't see well on my Pearl. 4) Ascendo obviously considers user input. I do not expect all my recommendations to be implemented. It is however nice to see that they are at least taken seriously."

"I switched to DataVault from another program, and am very happy I did (despite having to pay for another program). Main reason I switched was I was having synching problems with the other, and could not navigate quickly to the items I was looking for. Data Vault is much better. The synch works very well, and I can easily navigate to find what I was looking for on both the desktop and Blackberry versions. I did need some support and their support group is excellent. Very personalized attention, very quick to respond, and they always have the right answer. None of the "go look at the FAQs", but instead they quickly diagnose and solve the problem. I am very happy I made the switch, and having to pay for another password program has proved to be beneficial for me."

"I have been using MiniSafe for approximately one year. In that time, there have been no improvements. Compare that to this forum posting alone to see the number of improvements made to DataVault...

Some of the improvements as compared to Minisafe include: incredible search speed, the tree view, options provided (check out Minisafe's options screen and compare it to Datavault's), and the ability to use your own label on any and every listing. Datavault also provides templates which you can select but you can still tweak the labels to your liking."

"As a new Blackberry 8703e user who migrated from Palm, my first requirement was to locate an application that would securely store passwords and confidential information. It also needed to include a Desktop version. I evaluated a number of products and chose DataVault for its ease of use and functionality. It has the best user friendly interface on the Blackberry device versus comparable products. I am extremely happy with my purchase but what makes it more satisfying is the support team at Ascendo. They have demonstrated that they are customer focus as evidenced by their responsiveness to my requests for support and in seeking input for future product functionality. You cannot go wrong in choosing DataVault to protect your key data!"

"Purchased this product a few weeks ago and am extremely pleased with it. The desktop and blackberry software are very easy and intuitive to use and the program gives the user a lot of flexibility on what information is stored. Most importantly, the sync process was a breeze. I highly recommend this product."

"First of all, this product is from Ascendo. That in itself tells me that the program is going to be feature-rich and backed by their responsive customer service. What you don't know until you have it is...how easy it is to use and how much it can enhance your life. Your codes, numbers and pins are well-protected so that they are available in an emergency or just to make life more convenient. I'm glad to have this! Lots of extra features and options makes this the winner."

"As a newbie to the Blackberry world, it was great to find a product that enabled me to synchronize critical information, and other freeform data from my laptop in a totally intuitive manner. Five stars!"

"Great Product for my blackberry pearl. Branch out and make others like this one."

"Great product ! I am currently using another similar type program that you almost have to have a manual handy to use it. DataVault is very easy to use ! Very pleased with it."

"Having moved over from an Ipaq 3970, one of my worries was that the applications on a Blackberry would be a bit basic (I had been using [a competing product] on the Ipaq); I was not wrong with the first application I bought - however, when I got fed up with it I searched again and found Ascendo Money + DataVault. I find the two applications very intuitive and fast to operate and, as a bonus, they've made the look and feel of it 1000% better than anything else I've seen ...even makes the Blackberry GUI look a bit drab. Well done Ascendo ....now please will you write a mileage tracker application for Blackberry!!"

"Does exactly what it says on the tin - lets you store passwords and other sensitive info in a secure manner."