AutoDesk Subscription

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I am an IT administrator for my company, and I am supporting users who have various versions of AutoCAD, anywhere from 2012 to 2015.  We recently renewed our subscription for another year with the appropriate number of seats for our users.  What I'm wondering is, since these are not network seats that we purchased (they're either AutoCAD standard or LT), are the users going to ever need to upgrade their version to the 2016?  Or are they going to be able to utilize their AutoCAD 2014 (for example) indefinitely since it's already installed and activated on their machine?  And a better question is, if we reduce the number of seats in our AutoDesk subscription package, will that at all affect those users who have the previous versions?  Or is it as though each year-long renewal purchase gives us so many seats to the most recent version of AutoCAD, and after that one year, any machines that have the software installed can simply keep it installed whether we renew or not?  Just trying to understand how the licensing works with the AutoDesk subscription.  Thanks!

James

[pendean]

Only your users can answer whether they need 2016 or not: but it seems to be you are all wasting a lot of money if you don't plan on at least having everything on the same version for at least once in the near future before you scale it all back.

Talk with your CAD users.

BTW, the 2015-2012 licenses that you own now are perpetual: you own them and are fre to use them forever (or until a WIndows version in the future stops accepting them). New licenses after January 2016 will not be, you will have to be on subscription for as long as you use those versions purchased after that date.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Dean, that was exactly what I was looking for.  So you're saying if we would install 2016 on any machine, then for those users we would have to continuously have at least that number of licenses paid for by subscription each year for them to be able to use the application, correct?  And I'm assuming we wouldn't necessarily need to install the new version each year, just remain on subscription so that those previous years beginning with 2016 would still function (unless of course AutoCAD uses that rolling 3 year window as a way to make sure people are up-to-date somewhat)?

[GrantsPirate]

So you're saying if we would install 2016 on any machine, then for those users we would have to continuously have at least that number of licenses paid for by subscription each year for them to be able to use the application, correct?

No, the licenses you have now are perpetual and that won't change.  It doesn't matter if you load 2016 or not, it is still a perpetual license.

If you purchase the Maintenance Subscription (this is the one for perpetual licenses) then you can use the previous three releases.  So if you purchase the Main. Subscription in 2017 you can legally use releases from 2016, 2015, 2014.  Purchase the Main. Subscription again in 2018 you can legally use releases from 2017, 2016, 2015.

So if you purchase the Main. Subscription for R2016, R2017, R2018, R2019 you could stay using 2016 for all those years rather than loading the newer software.  If you stopped buying the subscription after buying it for 2016, then in 2017 you would only legally be able to run 2016, but it is yours from now on.

If you need another license of AutoCAD only the Desktop Subscription will be available.  So now you are on the hook to pay to use each month, quarter, or year.  

[Anonymous]

Alright.  So however many seats of a particular year/version I purchase, that's how many installations I can do with that year/version, and even if I don't renew the subscription next year, it doesn't matter because I still have however many seats with that particular year/version that I can use, perpetually.  I just can't upgrade to next year's version of the software without the subscription renewal next year.  But if I install 2016 on a user's machine and it's 2021, it can still be on my computer and I can still use it just fine, AutoCAD isn't going to lock my application down or anything.  Does that sound right?

[pendean]

Perpetual licenses: you own them forever. Whether you buy anything from Autodesk or not, whether you buy subscription today or not, it doesn't change that reality.

Perpetual licenses: you own them forever. To use forever. And ever.

Read this: http://www.autodesk.com/products/perpetuallicenses or post here if you want to ask more about licensing http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/perpetual-license-changes/bd-p/2015

Perpetual licenses are going away if you buy new or upgrade AutoCAD licenses after January 2016: those folks will find out that AutoCAD will die when they stop paying Autodesk a yearly fee. This however does not apply to you today or in the future if you do nothing else with your 2012-2015 licenses.

My buddy @GrantPirate may have muddied the water a little with some of his information.

[GrantsPirate]

Dean,  I believe have it right and reading that link you provided shows that.  The Maintenance Subscription is not ending after 2016, stay on Maintenance Subscription and the perpetual license is upgraded and is still a perpetual license.

Is it your understanding that existing perpetual licenses will transition to Desktop Subscriptions after 2016?  I don't see that in the link you provided or in any of the other Autodesk information.

[Anonymous]

I think I'm understanding at this point but it's good to see that I'm the only one feeling as though there's definitely not too clear cut an explanation of how things are supposed to work.  Another question then.  We already renewed our subscription through April of next year, and have access to 2016 - so then are the 2016 licenses we own perpetual because we purchased them before Jan. 31st?  That's what it sounds like based on that perpetual licenses page, sounds like the year doesn't affect the license, just the purchase date?

[pendean]

AutoCAD2016 purchased before January 31, 2016 is a perpetual license. Yours to use forever.

Remember: 1-license for 1-user only. Being on subscription doesn't alter that reality.