It’s a Licensing Issue: Bentley vs. Autodesk
BIM software giant Bentley has announced the launch of the “Autodesk License Upgrade Program .” This risky initiative (given that it’s aimed directly at competitors) is positioned as a lifeline for users of the popular software brand who hold permanent licenses for most of its design and creation suites—including the Building Design Suites , Infrastructure Design Suites , and individual products like AutoCAD with Advanced Steel—and who wish to continue using them. Currently, users can only purchase Autodesk software as part of a subscription after July 31, 2016.
Bentley’s program offers its users the ability to retain the “full value” of a perpetual Autodesk license and transfer it to one of their current products. In fact, Bentley’s own program description states that “permanent licenses are very valuable, but if they can’t be upgraded, they’re pointless. If users switch to Bentley, they’ll enjoy the same conveniences as Autodesk but without any restrictions.”
This aggressive marketing campaign seems somewhat odd, especially considering the interoperability agreement signed in 2008, which seemed to mark the beginning of a cooperative trend between the two BIM software companies.
The customer comes first
Now, before all Autodesk users panic, this doesn’t mean that permanent licenses will expire. In fact, they will remain valid, and Autodesk will continue to offer technical support and updates. The company’s philosophy is that no customer loses the right to use software once purchased , especially considering the numerous incentives focused on enabling users to maximize the value of their investment in the program and maintain their license. However, if a user wants to upgrade to Revit 2018, for example, they will be forced to switch to a subscription model.
This could be a drawback for users who prefer to own their own software and pay small amounts for updates, if they ultimately decide to go with this option. With the large number of add-ons and extras that Autodesk is testing and including in its products, it wouldn’t be surprising if perpetual license users started to disappear without the latest version of the software.
This is the main advantage Bentley is playing, proposing to migrate the “full value” of Autodesk software to its own (including cloud-based CONNECT editions) instead of losing the perpetual license . “Bentley Systems views the purchase of perpetual licenses as a long-term investment for our users, so we will continue to innovate to increase their value,” said Bhupinder Singh, the company’s product director. “We are delighted to extend this commitment to the future to Autodesk owners, as otherwise, they will lose the value of their applications.”
“We will continue to offer our users the ability to purchase licenses or subscriptions that fit their business preferences, such as the next generation of CONNECT applications, which leverage cloud services intrinsically. We are confident that existing Autodesk users will eventually opt for many of the BIM advancements we offer in our environment,” Singh concluded. It’s clear that the war is on.
Looking to the future
One of the highlights of this new Bentley announcement is the confirmation that its licenses will never be devalued, which leads us to believe that Autodesk’s will be, simply because the company is moving toward a subscription model. But is this really the case? When Autodesk announced the measure in 2015, the main objective was to eliminate perpetual licenses by February 2016, and since then, the company has made a significant effort to ensure its customers have the resources and information necessary to understand how they would be affected by the change. In fact, from now on, products can only be purchased through cloud-based subscription packages and via the desktop.
“As we move into the future, Autodesk’s subscription offers customers greater flexibility, value, and a lower upfront cost. Bentley’s program lacks clarity in terms of flexibility and value, but what’s truly concerning for customers is the lack of commitment to the future, as we’re talking about a landscape where software companies must fight for customer loyalty with frequent investments and upgrades,” Autodesk said in a statement.
With Bentley confirming that perpetual licenses will never be devalued, one can only wonder why the company has decided to move to a subscription model. Will this be the new way of working with BIM software, or will perpetual licensing prevail until the end?
