Celebrating 30 years 1987-2017
You are Not Stuck with
Autodesk, PTC
and Siemens Subscription Only!
There are
Other Options.
 |
"CAD subscription only, is a very bad business decision. It is like getting
married to someone you can't control and almost impossible to divorce after
a few years."
Update 4-25-19
It looks like Siemens NX is now moving to
subscriptions only. They disguise it as:
"NX Continuous Release"
Update 1-21-19
An associate and customer had been using Fusion 360.
There was a glitch and he lost access to his account
for, get this, a full month. He was livid. Luckily
he was using the CNC only and had a another program
to fall back on. It took him another month for them
to make it right. This is another from
upFront.eZine. We all know why they moved to
subscription and the reality is finally starting to
hitting. Take a look at this horror show.
So now Autodesk has removed my original order for my
purchased license of 3DS Max 2014 (a perpetual
license), and also completely removed my AutoCAD
2014 perpetual license from my product lists. Both
are now unavailable.
Autodesk, in effect, has
stolen my perpetual licenses. Granted both versions
were 2014 releases but I've spent a lot of money on
plug-ins for 3D Studio Max that no longer work with
2019, 2018, or 2017, which is all they now offer. In
total, I've spent around $8,620 just for the big
items, not including all of the small Mental Ray
items for 3D scenes for 3DS Max.
After
Thanksgiving 2018, I loaded a trial version of 3DS
MAX 2019 just to see what was new. The result was
Autodesk modifying my 2014 version of Max to a
subscription and so it will no longer load. Now I'm
paying $202 monthly for something I owned. Autodesk
no longer cares for the user as they once did.
They kept the price for 3DS Max the same as a
core value. It's still one of the most expensive
applications for 3D animation on the market
following Maya, also by Autodesk, and a few others.
Some have reported receiving checks from Autodesk.
It's hard to claim without a copy of the original
order as they modify all old orders.
The war
has begun. I'm looking for a class action lawsuit.
- Troy L Cagle (on WorldCAD Access)
Update 9-20-18
Many of the Autodesk
products prices have increased. Once you are on a
subscription you are at their mercy. Not scared yet?
This article started out
as a introduction of IronCAD and ZW3D as viable cost
effective replacement options to Autodesks and PTCs
Subscription only policy. But it has developed into
a study in whether this option is even viable due
the proprietary nature of the engineering data
created.
Again I reference two of Ralph
Grabowskis articles in his upFrontezin.
Ralph
points out the increased cost and the effect it has
on the third- party developers that are involved
with the subscription only option. It seems like
Ralph and I are the only ones that see the problems
with this marketing scheme.
Autodesk Wasn't Adobe, After All
Here is a bit of feed
back Ralph got on the above article.
Readers
Respond to Autodesk's Subscription Woes
So there you go, more reasons to not put your
engineering data or intellectual property under the
control of these potentially unstable corporations!
|
The above quote came
from the Autodesk University 2017.
I
watched the Keynotes and didn't see it. It was reported
in Ralph Grabowski's
upFronteZin below:
My Notes on Autodesk
University 2017, Las Vegas
I
took a job as a sales/tech manager for a company that
was selling the Autodesk manufacturing solution. One of
the great events was a week long training seminar in the
Chicago area. The training campus was incredible all
meals included.
We were to learn the
manufacturing "Bundle". We had short introductory
lessons in Inventor, Autocad, Alias, Mudbox, 3D Max and
a few other obscure products that engineers would
"NEVER" use. Alias and 3D Max are professional packages
with long learning curves. People have based their
professions on these package. They are hardly packages
for the causal user.
We had a lecture by a VP
of marketing that we "WILL" sell the Bundles. The
bundles seemed to be a way to push unpopular software.
He was pushy and rude and had very little concern for
the user. I have been a 3D CAD dealer for 30 years and
it was a bit uncomfortable for me. We have always
offered good support since we provided engineering
services using our software. Hard sales techniques have
never worked. Good productive software and good stable
support is the formula for success with selling CAD.
While Autodesk is the leader in the Architectural
and Civil engineering, it is basically a 2nd tier player
in industrial/mechanical engineering and easily
replaced. Do you really owe the rest of your business
life to supporting Autodesk?
Today, you should
take Mr. Anagnost advice
and find another
software solution.
|
|
|
|
I just found out lately that PTC joined Autodesk with subscription only. You
are not trapped into a CAD system. Many have suffered with both of these
companies due to our legacy data. But the industry has changed since you
decided on your CAD software. Most don't realize there are other options.
This is the time to take a look.
First thing you do is not to move to the subscription only. Stay with your
perpetual systems. Actually, you probably have not used many of the new
enhancements anyway. With this decision made you can look to a new
productive CAD system that wants to work with you instead of locking you
into a CAD program forever. This may be a new opportunity for increased
productivity.
This is the biggest fraud played on our industry! It is not that you or your
company are obviously locked into one program, forever, it is that your
engineering legacy is locked there too!! Beware! Your future "will" be a
horror show. This one fact outweighs any benefits they tout! It truly only
benefits Autodesk and PTC! There is no incentive for them to enhance the
product. There will be no innovation, the research will stop with the
marginal product they are today. Sadly, there is little you can do with the
de facto CAD standard that all the major CAD products share. There is a huge
danger of them raising the Subscription price. What are you going to do. You
are stuck paying what ever they want to charge. No one in their right mind
would trust anyone of these huge CAD vendors.
As we ponder on this situation you have to ask one question:
Why not just offer a rental option?
They surely had to see the problems by locking the user into a lifetime
contract?
The answer if obvious, there are not enough enhancements to keep the folks
buying the maintenance or upgrades. But that is true for all of the popular
CAD packages. Soon all will be downsizing to the stockholders
disappointment. Everyone has CAD and they will soon realize the maintenance
is not worth it. They cannot depend on the user to be stupid forever!
I am not the only one that thinks this is a complete scam! These articles go
through each reason why Autodesk moved to subscription and call BS on it.
If you fall for this you have just allowed
Autodesk and PTC to be part of your engineering plans forever. Once you move
to subscription there is no way back. You have to pay forever to be
compatible. If you sell you company the subscription has to be part of the
sale. If you have multiple seats imagine the costs? Where if you settle for
the last perpetual version there is virtually no cost, ever! What
enhancement would be worth this? Even if you are a new start up, why would
you chose this option that would make Autodesk your new partner? Many
companies rent 3D CAD software (see below). You can buy an AutoCAD
compatible program like IronCAD Draft for $595.00 and work with existing
dwgs!
Ironcad Draft is a unique detailing software. You bring in a 3D model with
any neutral 3D format or optional native files of the popular programs and
detail them in using the familiar AutoCAD like functionality of Caxa draft.
It also serves as a viewer.
You have Options
Let's say you want to change systems. You might as well, you will not be
compatible with the newer versions by Autodesk or PTC. The only
limitation is the AID (Associative Information Document (drawing)). You will
keep your system around for years to come. But you can freely used the 3D
models.
Today, most of the systems can read the native files of Creo, AutoCAD and
Inventor. This, of course, is one of the basic requirements of selecting a
new system, so you can import your legacy data.
See Carl Bass talk about Autodesk's bottom line moving to subscription
only!! An interesting fact being brought out is the increased level of
pirating of Autodesk software to combat the subscription scam!! All so
interesting!!
What is this all about? What does it mean?
It is obvious that Autodesk has realized that CAD has come to the end of its
product cycle. You can only add so many enhancements to keep them buying
annual maintenance contracts and upgrades. Everyone now has a CAD program so
new seat sales have slowed.
So what do we do to keep the customers paying?
Let's lock them into a subscription service.
Yes, that's the Ticket!!
But what are the ramifications?
This is not like Office 365 that is around a $100 a year for 5 seats with
tons of advantages.
This is an expensive subscription with no support. You want support? It is
going to cost you.
Autodesk has some of the best Dealers in the industry. How long do you think
they will be around with Subscription only? Autodesk will soon be selling
direct only. They are already selling the subscription for all of their
programs on line.
Take a look at this article:
What if you do not want to subscribe?
Let me offer you a couple of options.
Autodesk has a myriad of products focused on different industries. Basically
they have 4 areas of CAD, Architectural, Civil, Mechanical/Manufacturing and
Entertainment. Autodesk is the most schizophrenic company I have ever been
involved with. Their products are all over the place. Many have been
purchased and do not have any commonality, such as AutoCAD, Inventor, Alias,
Fusion 360, Mudbox, 3ds Max, Maya, Revit, etc. More of a menagerie. than a
product line.
What happens when sale slow? Which areas do they cut back? We know that the
Architectural and Civil is their bread and butter. But what happens to
mechanical? This is basically an industry they more or less fell into. It
took years to get a decent 3D mechanical package. Inventor is nowhere close
to Solidworks in the size of the user base.
Both IronCAD and ZW3D are small CAD companies with focused products. These
programs are mostly used in the Mechanical/Industrial industry. They are
dedicated to provide the best design solution. Each is unique in its own
way.
IronCAD is the very best conceptual design program and ZW3D leads the way to
powerful 3D Hybrid Modeling. Both have a VAR network to provide you with
personal service and support.
So think it through. You don't have to move to these packages instantly. But
they can keep you be compatible with what ever Autodesk, PTC and the other large
CAD companies are going to do in the future.
Trust me, as you work with these packages you will slowly move to them as
your preferred design solution. Take a look how two different packages can
work together. This article shows how you can work with any other packages
data.
Why TECH-NET Sells IronCAD and ZW3D
I will guarantee these companies will never go subscription only. They are
completely focused on productive solutions for this industry only.
Again for our new options visit.
Viable Options to Replace
Subscription Only CAD software
Autodesk - PTC - Siemens
That is about it. Cost savings? Of course, are you locked into a company for
life? Nope. If you need other options please give me a call.
Both IronCAD and ZW3D have analysis and simulation option.
There you go.
You are not stuck with paying for CAD forever!
You now have Options.
TECH-NET Engineering Services!
Why
TECH-NET Sells
IronCAD and ZW3D
Feel free to give me a call!
Joe Brouwer
206-842-0360
|