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Hi JL,
Very happy to provide clarification.
1.) Existing customers on perpetual license subscription will be able to continue to renew that subscription and recieve upgraded perpetual licenses in the future at similiar prices as currently charged
1-A) Yes, customers with perpetual licenses that maintain active maintenance subscription will receive future upgrades and service packs. But we cannot offer any blanket guaratees about future pricing. If you are concerned about price increases, we encourage you to lock in a price with a multi-year maintenance subscription. We offer 2 year and 3 year terms.
2.) What options will existing customers have, when they allow their perpetual license subscription to lapse?
2-A) Customers with expired Maintenance Subscriptions can continue to use their perpetual license. However, they will lose Subscription benefits such as updates, technical product support, flexible license rights and cloud services. To get the latest features and functionality after a Maintenance Subscription expires, customers will need to purchase a Desktop Subscription.
3.) What options will existing perpetual license customers have in regards to downgrading or cross grading after perpetual licenses are no longer offered?
3-A) After we discontinue sales of new perpetual licenses for a given product, customers with a license for the current version of that product can still purchase crossgrades to products that continue to offer new perpetual licenses for sale. That is a complex statement, so let me offer an example.
A customer has a perpetual license for AutoCAD 2016 on Feb 1, 2016. The license can be covered by a Maintenance Subscription or not. In this case it doesn't matter. On Feb 1, 2016 the customer could still purchase a crossgrade to AutoCAD Design Suite Ultimate 2016, because perpetual licenses for that product will still be for sale on Feb 1, 2016. However the customer could not purchase a crossgrade to AutoCAD Electrical 2016, because perpetual licenses for that product will no longer be for sale on Feb 1, 2016. If this customer has current Maintenance Subscription for their AutoCAD 2016 perpetual asset, they can reassign the Subscription to their new AutoCAD Design Suite Ultimate 2016 perpetual license when they crossgrade.
Hope this helps clarify. Good questions.
Catherine Wolf
Director, Customer Success
Sustainability and Foundation
Thank you for being willing to share your frustration with us. I do hope we are able to recover your good opinion by showing these changes are not the spiteful actions you currently feel them to be. We genuinely believe the future of design in every industry is undergoing tremendous change, and we will ultimately fail our customers if we do not anticipate and prepare for the technological shift. Moving to subscription-based ways of doing business is part of that strategy. I hope you will stick with us through the transition.
Catherine Wolf
Director, Customer Success
Sustainability and Foundation
Hi @Anonymous,
I think maybe we should clarify the differences between the maintenance and desktop subscriptions.
Desktop subscription - there is no upfront cost to purchase, so you do not have to buy the full perpetual license, you quoted in your calculations. This is a more flexible model for users who do not require the software for long periods.
Maintenance subscription - the maintenance subscription upgrades existing perpetual licenses, as you have read, perpetual licenses will no longer be sold after Jan 31, 2016, however if you have an existing perpetual license you can contiue to use the maintenance subscription to upgrade. Your license does not disappear.
Matt DiMichele
Autodesk Product Blogs | @ADSKCommunity Twitter
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Hi JL,
Nothing wrong with your ability to calculate side-by-side costs of the two options for AutoCAD. $7000 more in costs for AutoCAD over 10 years assumes you can recover those costs and more with the changes we will offer you. We are striving for seamless productivity across devices from any location. We are shifting intensive processes to the cloud where there is infinite computing capability. We are building connected collaboration across the design process no matter who is collaborating or where they are. We see these changes coming not as a result of what we do but no matter what we do. So, we chose to see these changes as positive and we are looking for ways to put the changes to use for you. You probably think I've had too many corporate happy pills. I admit I have been spending more time with Marketing lately. But I just past my 10 year anniversay with Autodesk and I have never been more excited to be here. More than any time in the past, and this is just me talking here, I believe we are doing what is right for you. I hope you will hold your nose through the rough bits, and hold us accountable to realize these changes.
Catherine Wolf
Director, Customer Success
Sustainability and Foundation
So, the first option in the following figure is obsolete?
The first option is actually two seats of AutoCAD and therefore the best value considering the current yearly updates aren't usually even worth the $545. This new direction is obviously geared to new or intermittent customers, not the loyal ones. Other CAD competitors (and the illicit drug industry) are no different. It doesn't hurt too much to investigate or try it, but once you have a dependency, the costs are much greater.
It IS pretty amazing that Autodesk resorted to comparing a single seat on desktop subscription to the option of purchasing an additional full price perpetual license every other year!! What do they think people do...throw the license away because it is a year old?!!
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