If you are an owner of Autodesk perpetual license with maintenance plan (formerly subscription) probably has received an email about the changes. The email content is similar to this post in Autodesk forum. Autodesk will increase the maintenance plan so that it will be about the same price as the subscription (rental plan). Read this FAQ for more details.
What it means
It is obvious now that Autodesk wants all of their existing customers to switch to subscriptions (rental). Perpetual license is forced to switch by increasing the price. Apparently the only benefit of maintenance plan customer is you can keep using the software after you stop paying the subscription. At least until your computer can support it.
Autodesk created a special forum: Moving to subscription. If you have a question or want to read what people say about this announcement, it is a good place to start.
What should we do
Autodesk has made the decision. Nothing will change that. Not at least for several years. You will need to decide if you are going keep using Autodesk software or make a switch to another product.
Making a switch is probably not easy. It means training, implementation, creating standards and more things to do. You will need to start looking for an alternative if you choose this path.
Autodesk probably will lose several customers, but I believe most of the customers will keep using Autodesk products. Autodesk has been selling AutoCAD with an expensive price, but people still using it. We know that there are many AutoCAD clones available with more affordable price. But AutoCAD is AutoCAD, people still use it. The other products might be also difficult to replace, depends on your situation.
Advertisement - this article continues below
If you are going to continue using Autodesk software, you need start to decide to continue using the perpetual license or change it to subscription. If you want to change it, according to the announcement, this year look to be the best time. Autodesk offers up to 60% discount for three years if you do it this year. The program starts in June 2017, so you have the time to make the decision.
However, Steve Johnson has calculated the options how the price will be after the discount ends. Until Autodesk announce how much discount you can lock, he suggests to wait. Read the post here: Autodesk license costs options 3, 4 & 5 – bait and switch.
What I think about it
I am also an unhappy customer with this decision. Yes, I have a Building Design Suite Premium and just renew my subscription last month. But raving about this will not change anything.
Autodesk suite has been discontinued, so probably I’m in a big trouble. I can continue paying my maintenance subscription now, but for how long? The product no longer exist.
I’m thinking to stop paying for the maintenance plan. But I haven’t made a decision if I should trade it with the subscription plan. The discount probably can cover for my initial cost, when I purchased the perpetual license. But after 3 years, the price will be very expensive. If I just stop my maintenance plan, I still can use it.
Let’s just wait until we know all the details.
What is your decision? Stay in Autodesk path or making a switch?
I find the incredible mendacity and deliberate dishonesty of Autodesk to be absolutely appalling. I recently received a letter from their VP of Marketing, with no return email address, of course, stating ‘due to the high cost of maintaining two separate systems…’ as a rationale, to be an incredible piece of disinformation and dishonesty. First off: in the run-up to the July 2016 purchase deadline, I received a number of emails that stated if there are any additional programs I felt I needed or suite upgrades, to run and purchase before the deadline cutoff occurred. That our subscription situation would not be abrogated or interfered with going forward. We would have the right to subscriptions in perpetuity, and it would follow along as it had been with incremental annual increases as usual;.
This is a force you off of it or we will rape your wallet. The two systems ‘high cost’ is a lie, as everything in the new lease agreement automatically covers software upgrades, and the only cost is billing for subscriptions as opposed to leasing, which could be handled by a single form with a checkbox.
Therefore, encouraging us to upgrade our suites or buy additional programs for thousands of dollars, and then tell us they are cutting that off, or forcing us to pay exorbitant costs to continue is the opposite of their earlier guarantees. If I was younger and did not have tens of thousands of dollars invested in software and training I would dump Autodesk and go to another brands product. If they offered to buy back my investment for what I paid out a Building Design Suite Premium and a few years of subscription, I would likely do it tomorrow. Everything they have done is without any regard for the economics of small business practice, every other vendor of industry controlling suites whether Microsoft or Adobe, Norton, etc. charge low to moderate prices because they are global, and encourage you to buy into additional products and services at reasonable additional costs.
Only Autodesk hammers and rapes it’s clients annually. This is about C-level compensation, stock, and compensation. It is not about any value proposition or high costs of development. Not a single email that discussed rising costs as regards this matter focused on the cost of code, all costs were admin related.
How do you afford a single seat that sometimes needs some of the various programs in the suite, but at no time can you use them simultaneously, but are charged according to that model, which is impossible? I would switch to Vectorworks in a heartbeat, but running two systems is too expensive to maintain in a small practice.
Over the years, they have never replied to any email written politely, regarding policy, terrible pedagogy management, and the arrogance of pre-determining what software you must have in a suite, regardless of small practice niche markets.
Not ever.
Here’s my plan, one more year and then I’m done upgrading and will not go on subscription. I’ve owned my copy of the latest version of AutoCad for 20+ years and a user since version 2.18. What I will not do is pay thru the nose year in and year out for more than the next year. I’ve migrated over to another GIS software since AutoDesk refuses to up the Map 3D software. I will use the last version of AutoCad to get me to retirement, Then I’m DONE with AutoDesk. They have become a New York Stock company and long forgotten their user base. Over priced and bloated software, glad I’m at the end of my career and not facing 30 years this new model for stock sales.
I felt this was going to happen. That is why I stopped paying maintenance and just hold on to my perpetual license. I’ll be fine for at least another 10 years…
I felt this was going to happen. That is why I stopped paying maintenance and just hold on to my perpetual license. I’ll be fine for at least another 10 years.
Why not continue paying for the maintenance plan for now? The price is still cheaper than subscription. You can use it 10 years from the day you stop paying the plan.
I already made the switch to bricscad for my own business
It looks and feels like Autocad, uses the same kernel and is remarkably cheaper.
only $680 AU. I can’t justify another $5000 for no further benefit with perpetual contracts.
“Autodesk suite has been discontinued, so probably I’m in a big trouble.”
That’s what I thought too. But not to worry. I made some inquiries and the bottom line is: those with a perpetual license for Building Design Suite (or whatever suite) won’t be able to download new versions of that suite, but you CAN download the latest version of the programs contained in the suite. They will become available on your Autodesk account download page.
Thank you, Simon.
But I still concern on how long I still can pay for the maintenance plan, because the product doesn’t exist anymore.
That’s a good question. See https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/installation-licensing/subscription-building-design-suite-and-aec-collection/m-p/6881737: “Customers on a maintenance plan for a suite will continue to have access to and receive the new licenses for the products in the suite so long as the continue to renew.” I think the maintenance plan will be more costly as subscription….
I saw this coming. I already left AutoCAD. I use Draft Sight. No mandatory subscription fee for the basic Draft Sight. I find it works a lot better for me than AutoCAN’T. I don’t like the new interface AutoDon’t put in…I like my Esnap buttons. We have AutoCAN’T at my college. I would rather use Draft Sight.
I’m done with Autodesk and Revit. Luckily I’m close enough to retiring from this ****ing business that this only helps in making the decision…