Please note that this information only applies to customers who currently have a maintenance plan or subscription with multi-user access.
IMPORTANT TIMING UPDATE announced March 13: please note date changes below! (See here for more detail: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/subscription-changes/changes-to-timing-for-transition-to-named-user-a...)
Welcome to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for the Transition to Named User. For more information about this change, click here.
1. What’s changing & why?
On May 7, 2020, Autodesk is launching new subscription plans that are based on people and retiring plans based on serial numbers. Like most SaaS providers, these plans are designed for named users and provide a range of administrative, support, and reporting capabilities for businesses of every size.
Customers often share their concerns over the time and resources needed to manage multiple deployment types. These new plans for named users will provide benefits, including:
- Optimize your licensing costs, by having visibility into your usage data.
- No need to manage your own license servers or track an anonymous serial number again.
- Dedicated access for all employees who need it. No more downtime waiting for licenses.
- Tailor support and learning content to employees based on insights.
These new plans for named users will replace those based on serial numbers:
- Maintenance plans will retire on May 7, 2021 and cannot be further renewed.
- Subscriptions with multi-user access will retire on August 7, 2021 and cannot be further renewed.
- As part of retiring maintenance, the last version of the Design & Creation Suites will be released in April 2020 for customers to download, and the last date to renew Suites will be April 16, 2020.
- Starting February 29, 2020, we will no longer sell new 2 or 3-year subscriptions with multi-user access or allow renewals. Starting August 7, 2020 we will no longer sell new annual subscriptions with multi-user access.
2. What do I need to do to transition to named user?
For customers who own a subscription with multi-user access or maintenance, at your first renewal after May 7, 2020, we’ll help you transition to a plan for named users through trade-in offers that keep your costs consistent today and predictable to 2028*.
3. Maintenance trade-in offer
At your first renewal, before May 7, 2021:
- Trade-in one standalone or network maintenance seat for one standard subscription for one named user at a price similar to what you’re paying in 2019 for maintenance.
- Then, renew at an ongoing discount to 2028*.
- At time of trade-in, choose to upgrade to an industry collection to get a comprehensive selection of tools to help you meet any project challenge—now and in the future.
- At time of trade-in or later, choose to upgrade to a higher plan for more advanced features, such as single sign-on and detailed user reporting.
- After trade-in, network maintenance plan customers will also have an opportunity to take advantage of the multi-user trade-in at their next renewal after August 7, 2020.
What if I don’t take the maintenance trade-in offer?
If you do not take the trade-in offer, maintenance prices will increase by 20% on May 7, 2020. Maintenance plans will retire on May 7, 2021 and cannot be further renewed.
4. Multi-user trade-in offer
At your first renewal only, after August 7, 2020:
- Trade-in one multi-user subscription or network maintenance seat for two standard subscriptions for one named user each at a similar SRP you’re paying today for your existing seat or subscription.
- For example, if you have 20 multi-user subscriptions, you can trade them in for 40 standard subscriptions for 40 named users at a similar SRP you’re paying today. Then, renew at an ongoing discount to 2028.
- Then, renew at an ongoing discount to 2028.
- At time of trade-in, choose to upgrade to an industry collection to get a comprehensive selection of tools to help you meet any project challenge—now and in the future
- At time of trade-in or later, choose to upgrade to a higher plan for more advanced features, such as single sign-on and detailed user reporting
What if I don’t take the multi-user/network trade-in offer at my first renewal that occurs after August 7, 2020?
- If you do not take the trade-in, at your second renewal, you can trade-in one discounted multi-user subscription (as a result of the Move to Subscription offer) or one network maintenance seat for one standard subscription for one named user at a similar SRP you’re paying today for your existing seat or subscription.
- If you do not take the trade-in and keep your network maintenance seats, maintenance prices will increase by 20% on August 7, 2020. Subscriptions with multi-user access will retire on August 7, 2021 and cannot be further renewed.
5. Quick reference overview of transition options
Current Offering |
Expiration Date |
Action at Renewal |
Standalone or network maintenance plan |
Before May 7, 2020 |
Until May 7, move to subscription through the Move to Subscription program |
Design & Creation Suites on standalone or network maintenance |
Before May 7, 2020 |
Until May 7, move to a subscription for an industry collection through the Move to Subscription program |
Standalone maintenance plan |
After May 7, 2020 |
Trade in standalone maintenance seat for one standard subscription through maintenance trade-in offer |
Network maintenance plan |
Between May 7 - August 7, 2020 |
Trade in network maintenance seat for one standard subscription through maintenance trade-in offer |
Network maintenance plan |
After August 7, 2020 |
Trade in one network maintenance seat for two standard subscriptions through multi-user trade-in offer |
Multi user-subscription |
After August 7, 2020 |
Trade in one multi-user subscription for two standard subscriptions through multi-user trade-in offer |
Design & Creation Suites on standalone maintenance |
After May 7, 2020 |
Trade in and upgrade to an industry collection standard subscription through maintenance trade-in offer |
Design & Creation Suites on network maintenance |
Between May 7 - August 7, 2020 |
Trade in one network maintenance seat for one collections standard subscriptions through maintenance trade-in offer |
Design & Creation Suites on network maintenance |
After August 7, 2020 |
Trade in one network maintenance seat for two collections standard subscriptions through multi-user trade-in offer |
6. What products are not available for trade-in?
The following products are excluded from the trade in program. Continue to renew, and we will communicate as additional information becomes available.
- Arnold
- Autodesk Inventor Nastran
- Autodesk Nastran
- CFD Premium, Ultimate
- Flame
- Flame Assist
- Flame Premium
- Flare
- Helius PFA
- HSM – Premium, Ultimate
- HSMWorks – Premium, Ultimate
- Inventor ETO
- InventorCAM – Premium, Ultimate
- Lustre
- Moldflow Adviser Premium, Ultimate
- Moldflow Insight Standard, Premium, Ultimate
- Moldflow Synergy
- Netfabb Local Simulation
- VRED Render Node
- VRED Server
- Have a question? Please click here to post in this forum and we will get back to you soon.
- If you would like to arrange a chat with a Customer Success Specialist directly, please click here.