Maintenance Ripoff?

[shawn]

I don't usually voice my opinions publicly, but after today's email from Autodesk, I thought I should.

I have been a Featurecam customer for many years.  I have always had maintenance and was happy paying for it because I felt I actually received something for it.

In a nutshell, if you have not seen today's email.  Maintenance will end up going up 20% over current price if you are on a perpetual license (where you purchased the software before the merger)  They also will no longer offer multi year discounts.

Since November, there has not been a worthwhile enhancement update to Featurecam.  There was SP5 in January that did include Solidworks 2017 functionality, but that was about it.  SP4 was non existent.

There has not been any real improvements in 2017, minor bug fixes.  I had questioned my sales guy on this and was told that it was due to the fact that licensing taxed their resources and they were working on 2018.

Now why is OK for a now large company to offer way less and yet charge way more?  Just remember, when Delcam owned Featurecam, we got updates Monthly, almost to the day.  Let all that soak in.

[bhorstTGM48]

If I am reading the handwriting on the wall correctly, it looks like we will all be forced to a subscription in the next few years?

[shawn]

It looks that way.  And then if you stop subscription, I assume you could not even open your files.

So they could force everyone onto subscription, raise rates, and you are forced to pay.  Similar to ransomware!

[RobertZoober]

Of course that is where they are going.

The only Autodesk product we use is Partmaker, and only because we have been using it for years.

We are looking at an exit strategy as they push and push us towards the subscription model.

[curtisreed]

Makes Delcam look pretty good now. This will be the last year of them getting any more money from us. Microsoft business model to the top.

[SCHIRUCK]

It seems to me that they no longer want us users who have supported them all these years.  I can't even get a straight answer on when my maintenance ends and what the new cost will be.  The price I was quoted was the same as the new subscription price.  Needless to say, I won't be renewing my maintenance and I will be looking around for new software.  All I can say is if they continue to treat their customers this way they will lose.  Up until recently I have always highly recommended this software on the different machining boards I am on, but have begun to steer people away from Featurecam/Autodesk due to their current practices. 

[bhorstTGM48]

Autodesk: Many Users Are Not Happy With The Transition To A Subscription-Only Model

https://seekingalpha.com/article/4063346-autodesk-many-users-happy-transition-subscription-model

[bartmann_in_MN]

Shawn,

I don't know if we received the same email, but the one I got from Autodesk stated that FeatureCAM was NOT included in the 2017 price increases:

[shawn]

I clicked the link and it explained 5% in 2017, 10% in 2018, 20% in 2019

[mark.gadsden]

Hi Shawn,

Apologies for the confusion the link in that email caused.  While Autodesk did recently announce maintenance plan price increases for a number of products, this does NOT include maintenance plan price increases in 2017 for FeatureCAM (or any other former Delcam product).  

The only change you need to be aware of is that multi-year maintenance plans cannot be renewed - maintenance plans can only be renewed on a single year basis.

Hope this helps clear up any confusion.

Thanks,
Mark

[SCHIRUCK]

So who can I talk to about my maintenance and questions I have about your new policies?

Also, If I install the latest update will I have to be connected to the internet in order to use it?  From what I understand, the dongle will no longer be used.

[phil.jenningsM7ZMZ]

Hi Schiruck,

 you can talk to your account rep ( salesman ) about the maintenance agreement.  

you do not need the internet to run Featurecam but you will need internet access to activate the software.

The dongle/PAF system has been replaced with a serial number for activation.

if you go to your accounts page and select management you should see your software listed for download and a serial number for activating the software.

load the software on your system then fire it up. The first time you do you will be prompted to activate the software with the serial number listed.

once that is done you will not need the internet to run the software.

if you need more info please call 215-643-5077 ext #2 for support.

[david.roberts]

Haven't been on this forum before, but I have been a FeatureCam user for many years even before the purchase by Delcam.  I actually did extensive testing of the software when FeatureCam was called EasyFeatureMill and later purchased it when it was owned by Engineering Geometry Systems.  It seems that each time FeatureCam has been purchased, the development and support drops another level.

I had not downloaded version 2018 until earlier this week, but doing so seems to have been a waste of my time.  There are very few real improvements to the software and all of the development effort seems to have been put into developing a new user interface.  In my opinion, the old one was just fine and the ability to completely customize the toolboxes allowed you to do several functions with just one mouse click.  At some point, I hope they get back to the basics and address some of the long time problems with the tool manager.  For examples: Tap points that can only be defined as "plug" or "bottom", center drills that only support 118 deg angles, etc., etc., etc.  Working around the limitations of the tool manager and tool definitions have caused me far more time than the interface ever has.  These problems have existed for years and never seem to get attention. 

I hope for the best with AutoCAD, but I remain skeptical.  In the meantime, I think I will stick with the 2017 version.