Keep perpetual licenses

[Anonymous]

Heres a great idea. Why don't we have software that you continue to own and be able to use even after you have paid for it?

Firstly I will say that I am a fan of Autodesk software and I do think they make some great products. I think desktop subscription is a great idea to allow it as an option and will no doubt help a good number of companies access CAD software where otherwise they would not.

That said, I am not a fan of having all new purchases forced onto desktop subscription. Our company is of the size where most of our licenses would be perpetual maintenance subscription purchases if we were given the choice.

Software is an asset to a business. Changing the licensing model is removing that asset. Once I stop paying I effectively have nothing.

The new licensing model is clearly designed by the Autodesk sales team as an effort to drive a consistent and dependant revenue stream. It gives them the power to raise the prices even higher and users will have to pay it or lose access to their software. I do not like being held to ranson and the new licensing model stinks of that.

One of the first things I did was look up FREE open source CAD software and for at least a small number of our users this is what I will be recommending at our next review meeting

[borges33]

There are plenty pirate versions of almost every Autodesk program available. And they work just as good no problems. It is just finding right source.

[borges33]

Do not fix what is no broken..............

[brotherkennyh]

Hi all,

just thought I would post about how the license changes are affecting our purchasing.

We our looking to upgrade out entire group to the latest version of AutoCAD LT. Mainly because our current version is ancient and we cannot open drawings saved in later versions.

However, being highly against being pushed into the subscription only model and extortionate priceing we are considering other products.

We are considering using Draftsight instead. It seems to meet the needs of almost all our engineers who would otherwise need LT and it is FREE.

This was for around 50 licenses that we would otherwise have upgraded and taken maintenance subscription.

We are also looking at taking on AutoCAD electrical, but are considering competitor products for the same reason.

Autodesk = Fail

Have a great day

Kenny

[brotherkennyh]

A friend mentioned their position on subscription only licensing at the weekend.

Their company are also strongly against subs only licensing. They had been using AutoCAD LT and were long over due an update. I was asked my opinion on the subscription being worth it, so I directed them to another FREE CAD package that I feel will meet all their needs.

[vincent_de_bruijn]

2014 Autodesk: we drop perpetual licenses for your benefit. 

2015 Reseller & Autodesk: Quickly buy perpetual licenses while you can!

Just got a mail form our reseller: Prolong your subscription NOW, because from feb 1st 2016 subscription prices will increase steeply!

This whole compulsive change is just FAIL². Autodesk grossly underestimates their clients intelligence.

Just discovered NanoCAD. Full blown Autocad for $180,- a year.

[vincent_de_bruijn]

Really, it's seemingly so brilliantly simple:

Extra revenue from customers buying perpetual licences, fearing the changes.

Extra revenue from customers prolonging subscripions with a yearly 10% price increase.

Extra revenue from customers prolonging subscripions with 3 years at once, because of those yearly 10% price increase.

Extra revenue from customers prolonging subscripions for as long as they can because a Desktop Subscription is about twice as costly/year.

Extra revenue from customers not prolonging subscripions 1 week before contract ends. They need to buy new Desktop Subscriptions if they want the newest version.

Extra revenue from customers buying Desktop Subscriptions.

They only thing not considered: no customers left.

[brotherkennyh]

I was just about to post something very similar myself.

Sadly not all coustmers will care, the question is just how many customers will object enough to avoid subscription like the plague.

I am already suggesting we use alternatives for 2D drawings. I will suggest we do the same for 3D projects/drawings as soon as I find a suitable product.

I am regretting getting Autodesk software intwined into our business and wishing we had gone with Solid Works!

[vincent_de_bruijn]

In 2013 we invested in 3x PDS + 3x ACAD LT.

The above clearly illustrates our choices. 

[Anonymous]

Lack of responce on this thread from Autodesk is obvious.

I really think that Autodesk doesnt really care about their 2d customers any more, they have their eyes on the sparkly things in the distance with the new 3d movie platforms.

We are all but dinosaurs trying to make living, but rather than becoming extinct we will move to greener pastures. Unfortunately this includes so many of their great channel partners that have helped us out over the years. Typically oldstyle corporate, greed and power rules the realm.

[Anonymous]

AutoCAD has shown disdain for the 2D market for a long time.  This has been in the form of absolutely no network support for the LT product line.  Before the subscription model, if you wanted to use LT, you had to buy a copy for each machine it would be on and there was no way to pool the licenses.  If you wanted to pool them, you had to buy the full copy of AutoCAD even if you had no plans to use the 3D capability. 

Our company uses Solid Edge for 3D modeling but for a few of us, we only have need of 2D modeling.  We use LT.  Solid Edge is an awesome 3D CAD package but its 2D capabilities are horrible.  AutoCAD is a wonderful 2D package but its 3D capabilities are probably lacking.  So for us to use AutoCAD LT, we have to buy a stand alone copy for each computer that one might potentially open AutoCAD on rather than buying a pool of licenses and network them.  Then if computers die, get upgrades, or we need to relocate a license, we have to go through a lot of headaches, wait up to 24 hours for AutoCAD tech support to approve the move, etc. 

AutoCAD thinks everyone needs their 3D and that simply is not the case.  They try to make the AutoCAD experience so difficult that you'll easily accept their highly inflated pricing. 

AutoCAD makes a good product and they should get paid for it.  But the idea of forcing individuals to update their version is just a money grab.  They no longer care for the 2D market.   

[mw111368]

Fully agree

We have been an AutoDesk user for 20+years, and with nearly 5000 employees have many licenses of numerous products. Our company policy is to buy, not rent, so as time goes by I will be tasked with sourcing alternatives.

I have long been a fan of AutoDesk products, but I cant help feeling that this is a step to far, and quite clearly greed is now more important than customers!

[pendean]

You are "buying", not renting: renting is short term (30-day and and up), subscription "buying" is a different animal altogether as it involves a lock-in and a bigger discount in pricing.

Ask your IT folks about subscriptions, they've been paying for all your back-of-office software and Server apps that way for about a decade now.

[Anonymous]

Don't have to ask. I'm the one who runs the IT system for my business.  I purchase everything I can, because I don't want a third party messing around with things without me either knowing about it and/or giving my permission.  That is one of the main reasons I do NOT like SaaS.

[Anonymous]

Misguided for small business

Cheers,
Brian McLaughlin

Serchill Pty Ltd
brian@serchill.com.au
Phone 0419977799
www.serchill.com.au

Sent from,
iPhone mobile.

[mw111368]

Hi
I have been quite happily running a legacy Mechanical Desktop 5 (AutoCAD 2000i) since 2003, at no cost to our company because we bought the software.

If I were in a similar scenario in the future, would I be able to stop paying, but retain the use of the software? If yes then great, but if not, then I am sorry, but
dress it up however you like, that is renting.
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[Ognyan]

No pendean,this is renting.I know firms that use 4-6 years old autodesk software and will not change simply beacuse the workflow doesnt changes much.With this you are hitting indies all over the face.Why on earth shoud i buy maya lt when i can take modo full at a similar price.You people are forcing us to move and we will.I know i will.This elimination of perpetual licenses is stupid but im sure what will hapen next.In the next 12 -14 months nothing will change and than you people will say that have listened to us and will adopt the allegorithmic live licensing method for people to own the software ,pay every month(use pause when not using it)and with time finish the payment and owning it for ever.

I...i dont have any respect left for you AD.I really dont.

[pendean]

"...Misguided for small business..."
Agreed, but we small businesses are a dying breed for large software giants like Autodesk, Adobe and others 😞

[pendean]

"...running a legacy Mechanical Desktop 5 (AutoCAD 2000i) since 2003..."
At some point you will hit a wall with a new OS, and you'll have to find an alternate solution. Luckily there are options at the moment. Start planning.

[pendean]

>>>... allegorithmic live licensing method f...<<<
I hope not 😞

[OwenWhitehouse]

@CatsChaiTea ....Pure bunk.

Absolute marketing drivel, with not one ounce of real information.

Autodesk tried this 'continuous evolution via service pack & feature updates' several years ago and it was such an abject failure that it did not even last 6 months. In fact, I bet most users never even knew they tried it.

This is simple greed. If you have a DWG, you can install your old license of AutoCAD and view it, right? NO, they already took that away, by making the software 'phone home' for activation. You even have to beg for activation of an old version. The next step is then to charge you every time you want to look at a DWG....and guess what....it's here! Of course, Autodesk has such market presence that they figure it won't hurt their bottom line. It's actually not that hard to make them change their mind.

Vote with your wallet, everyone. There are some pretty good DWG-based tools out there. Maybe they could use some of your subscription dollars.

Autodesk is actually on the forefront of this licensing model, and Microsoft is busily trying to implement it too. How does Office 365 grab you? Great, right? It reminds me of the drug dealer who gets the 'clientele' hooked and then starts ratcheting up the prices. In this case, who is the competitor? Who offers the competing products? Autodesk has been very busy slurping up every possible contender. At this point, Bentley is the only company out there that can challenge Autodesk, and they are seemingly in collusion on licensing schemes. Bentley's 'usage-based' system is just frightening.

I think I need to contact my buddy down at the DoJ Antitrust Division. There might be something here for them to look at.