Autodesk Maintenance prices to increase

[MauricioPC]

Some fun news to think about!

http://www.autodesk.com/maintenance-pla ... e-plan-faq

1.1 What is changing for customers with maintenance plans?
We believe that subscribing is the best way for our customers to get the greatest value from our tools and technologies – and will fundamentally change how we deliver extended capabilities and new functionalities through connected services.

Beginning in June 2017, customers with eligible products on maintenance will have the ability to easily switch to a subscription at the time of renewal for up to 60% less than the cost of a new subscription. Customers can take advantage of this offer once per seat of a product on maintenance. The price to switch will increase 5% in 2018 and another 5% in 2019, so the earlier customers switch to subscription, the less it will cost. For more information on this offer, see Switching from Maintenance to Subscription.

While we will continue to offer customers the choice of renewing their maintenance plan on an annual basis, effective February 20, 2017, multi-year maintenance plan renewals will no longer be offered. In addition, because managing two business models (subscription and maintenance plans) is quite costly, in order to continue supporting maintenance plans, beginning May 7, 2017, maintenance plan renewal prices will increase by 5% in 2017, 10% in 2018, and 20% in 2019.

1.2 What are my options when my current maintenance plan comes up for renewal?
When your maintenance plan comes up for renewal, you will have 3 options:

Switch your individual product on maintenance to a subscription of the same product

Switch your individual product or suite on maintenance to an industry collection subscription

Renew your maintenance plan for one year
1.3 Will these changes affect all Autodesk customers?
These changes will affect customers with Autodesk products on maintenance plans, but will not affect subscriptions to Autodesk products.


1.4 Will I be able to continue renewing my maintenance plan?
Yes, if you choose to stay on maintenance, you will be able to continue to renew your maintenance plan/s on an annual basis.

1.5 Are the maintenance plan changes global?
Yes, the changes are global.

[myara]

Wow! That's a huge loss for those who bought multiple new licenses last year like we did!
I didn't expect they would change their maintenance policy and prices so soon!! I should have suspected that Autodesk would screw us again.

As much as I hate their new policies and crappy Maya versions I don't think AD will lose a significant share of the market anytime soon as I have yet to know a single big game company or big movie company that doesn't use an Autodesk software as one of their main tools.

[mc_axe]

5% in 2017, 10% in 2018, 20% in 2019 and in 2020 we send you vacations in siberia to take your time and think about it.

This is not a threat is "aggresive marketing"..

That company is sailing full speed to become the "Evil Corp" type of company that we see in films.

It only misses a super vilain for a CEO, someone universally hated.

[rray]

And percentages are on top of each other so that 20% is actually 38%.
This move just speaks of CEOs scared of shareholders, not really knowing what to do next.

[myara]

I've been doing some calculations but I don't fully understand this. Does anyone ?

I don't know the prices in US or Europe so I'll put japanese prices in rounded US dollars equivalent.
Maintenance 1 year = $800
Subscription 1 year = $2100

- Changing From Maintenance to Subscription.
"if you choose to move to a subscription in 2017, the price of your subscription will be equal to that of your maintenance price renewal."
I assume it does this include 1 year of subscription right?
Because it doesn't make any sense if it doesn't, we can just rent a new subscription license and keep our perpetual one and those $800.

- Discount: Renewal for up to 60% less than the cost of a new subscription.
Meaning
Sub 1 Year $2100 - 60% = $840 ?
Does this mean that if we choose a 3 year subscription, we have a 60% of discount over that 3 Year subscription price too ?
Like Sub 3 Year $5700 - 60% = $2280 for 3 years?

- Discount: "The price to switch will increase 5% in 2018 and another 5% in 2019, so the earlier customers switch to subscription, the less it will cost."
Meaning:
Switch fee 2018: Subs 1 Year $2100 - 60% = $840 + 5% = $882
Switch fee 2019: $882 + 5% = $926 ?

"maintenance plan renewal prices will increase by 5% in 2017, 10% in 2018, and 20% in 2019."
Maintenance 2017 : $800 + 5% = $840
Maintenance 2018 : $840 + 10% = $924
Maintenance 2019 : $924 + 20% = $1109

Now this is where I'm pretty sure I'm missing something but I don't know what.
If I change to subs in 2017 and 2 year of sub I'll have to pay:
- 2017 : Switch fee : New Sub - 60% : $840
- 2018 : Subscription for 1 year : $2100
- 2019 : Subscription for 1 year : $2100
= Total $5040

If I change to subs in 2018 + 1 year of sub I'll have to pay:
- 2017 : Maintainance 2017 ($800 + 5%): $840
- 2018 : Switch fee : New Sub - 60% + 5% : $926
- 2019 : Subscription for 1 year : $2100
= Total $3866

If I change to subs in 2019 I'll have to pay:
- 2017 : Maintainance 2017 ($800 + 5%): $840
- 2018 : Maintainance 2018 ($840 + 10%): $924
- 2019 : Switch fee : New Sub - 60% + 5% + 5%) : $972
= Total $2736

If I'm not missing anything (but I'm sure I am), the Switch fee will be increasing, but since the Subscription is way more expensive than the Maintenance even with the increased prices, it is still cheaper to stick with the old Maintenance at least until 2019.

[luceric]

Now this is where I'm pretty sure I'm missing something but I don't know what.
If I change to subs in 2017 and 2 year of sub I'll have to pay:
- 2017 : Switch fee : New Sub - 60% : $840
- 2018 : Subscription for 1 year : $2100
- 2019 : Subscription for 1 year : $2100
= Total $5040

it says on that page you can lock your rebated subscription price for up to 3 years, so it looks like it would cost 840$ * 3 years before going back to full price.
But it also says that you take that 60% rebate, you give up the permanent license you own. So I guess it's a deal that's more obvious for studio that have many seats that would keep up with recent versions of the products and don't really look back.

[myara]

Thanks for clarifying that.

Sticking to Maintenance would still be better once the Subscription go back to full price but I assume that AD will increase Maintenance even more by 2020, so switching to Subscription in June may be the best option...

[MauricioPC]

I have a feeling that by 2020 you won't have maintenance anymore, so only subscription.

My feelings on this are based on this video:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2 ... erm-growth

[owei]

..I can´t tell how I "dislike" those guys: "Switching over maintenance customers to subscription". Disgusting. All I can say.

[Rez007]

Thanks for clarifying that.

Sticking to Maintenance would still be better once the Subscription go back to full price but I assume that AD will increase Maintenance even more by 2020, so switching to Subscription in June may be the best option...

Looking at your numbers, your Maintenance Subscription price will still be considerably less than rental, in the year 2019. I do not know how much they will increase thereafter, but if you switch to Subscription - Subscription too - may also go up. At that point, if you ever want to leave you lose access to all of your files, etc. I am assuming that might include Softimage as well, if you migrated to a "Maya/Max with Softimage" license, since those are special SKUs.

In addition, it says up to 60%. That 60% might only be reserved for those who bought the more expensive Suites. Also, it says you will receive a discount after that 3 year period. Is that discount going to be 60% off or 1% off - makes a big difference - and so far no one knows.

I think the biggest disadvantage is that you lose your Perpetual License and the benefits that goes with it. If they modify it for current Maintenance Users that if you decide to end later on, you still can run the latest version of your software indefinitely, albeit with the end User having to login into Autodesk's online system for usage. That scenario might get me to move over, but anything where I lose access to older files, I just can't see there being any benefit for me to do that.

[Daniel Brassard]

A write up reaction to AD move:

http://schnitgercorp.com/2017/03/06/autodesk-subs-hear/

make you think.

P.S. This is getting OT, can we separate the thread by extracting the subscription issue into another thread?

Thanks Admin

[Rez007]

A write up reaction to AD move:

http://schnitgercorp.com/2017/03/06/autodesk-subs-hear/

make you think.

P.S. This is getting OT, can we separate the thread by extracting the subscription issue into another thread?

Thanks Admin

I do not know, I think that author seems kind of bias towards subscription, as she fails to point out the major issues of losing a Perpetual License...One big issue, as we being Softimage users have experienced, is being told one thing - betting our business on it - and then having the total opposite take place. It is not easy to run, or do business without knowing what is coming in the future, and with past practices, we have no idea.

The article seems to be more about money, but there are other important things besides that, which are missed from the article. So far, Autodesk has not said they discontinuing Perpetual License - only that there is going to be an increase in price in the next 3 years. Currently, I think Maintenance renewal is at $625, I think, for "Maya with Softimage." In three years it is roughly a 38% increase in total price from where it is now, which takes you to roughly $860 in Maintenance fees per year. That is about what I was paying for Softimage Maintenance alone. So the new cost brings me right back up to there. And it is still a big difference from what a new rental subscription is now.

You only save a few hundred dollars over the first 3 year period by going to rental, AND you are also giving up your Perpetual License and you are locked in. If you are a studio, then maybe that works for you, but for a freelancer or with personal projects, I do not think that is a good route. Giving up a Perpetual License to save a few hundred dollars? I just don't see that. (Of course, this is assuming that Autodesk keeps supporting Perpetual Licenses after that 3 year period. They promised you could keep using it and staying up-to-date if you kept paying your Maintenance Fees, in there promo/marketing blitz last year.)

Also, Educational versions for Institutions still run on the Perpetual model. What I read from a post from the Autodesk Rep, there doesn't seem to be any change coming for that...so I think that should still mean Perpetuals are continuing forward.

Is there even a "Maya/Max with Softimage" rental subscription? Probably not, so I am guessing you will instantly forfeit Softimage upon that transfer to rental (This part is a guess, and I could be wrong here though).

When I stay on Maintenance after that 3 year period, I may still be paying $860 a year. Who knows what the Rental discount will be then? All I know is that a new Rental Sub is about $1,400.00 a year. You are then locked into whatever fee they want to charge, regardless of future software features, etc. Remember, we all had Softimage swept out from under us, when we were told the "future was bright."

Autodesk needs to keep Perpetuity on Rental if you stop rentals, while having to log into their system. If they change to that, then that might be the only swaying feature for people that dropped 4K from the get go, and whom have been loyal supporters for years.

[Mathaeus]

I have a feeling that by 2020 you won't have maintenance anymore, so only subscription.

My feelings on this are based on this video:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2 ... erm-growth

Well I have same feeling. Don't want to be negative, but, any of these models is completely in hands of AD, which turns any calculation into joke. Today there's new set of prices, in next few months or so, there will be a new set, and some optimist will still trying to find the 'best and safe' option for future, again. What if AD will decide to sell out Maya or Max, how that 'permanent' will looking like. That is, last real permanent licence of Softimage, probably is XSI Foundation 5, coming only with serial number (or something like).
By the way Houdini Indie is also rental only, Adobe products as well. Completely cloud based and of course rental AD Fusion 360 seems to be really popular. And people don't complaining. Perhaps because of relative low prices, so entire story is looking like vision of future from 70s, you have a huge centralized network with terminals affordable for everyone. But, now, 3d monster apps designed around late 90s are not fitting into AD concept of earning money, copied from Adobe. Imho anything is possible, including their trial to 'restructure' Max and Maya into several smaller apps. We'll see.

[Rez007]

I feel, that as long as the Educational version still runs on the Perpetual model, you are still going to have Perpetual in the foreseen future. I would rather have a Perpetual License of something if it ever does get sold off...at least I still have something, where with Rental - poof! it could be gone, whether it gets sold off or not. To me, it is unfathomable to trade-in a Perpetual License (Network) for a very small savings in money up front. With an almost definite potential to pay more for the same thing that I already have, while being locked in.

I am basing my decisions on what I know now, not taking a chance on something that no one knows what might happen in the future. So far, Perpetual still exists. Autodesk does have to run with SEC guidelines, so there is only so much they can do, although it seems like a lot already.

[Bullit]

That's the thing you don´t even save money.

I don't understand what is the point of article Daniel Brassard posted. For a start it doesn't even consider ownership.

[rray]

That's the thing you don´t even save money.

I don't understand what is the point of article Daniel Brassard posted. For a start it doesn't even consider ownership.

It's indeed a very diplomatic article. On the other hand, almost refreshing to read something that isn't trying to make this or that strong point for a change.