Hi folks, Most companies that sell EDA tools, such as Xilinx, Altera, Synopsys, Synplicity, Model Technology etc require you to renew the license annualy. Can anyone give a good reason for this? I mean, other very expensive software, such as Microsoft Office Professional, I can just install it once and it will run forever. With EDA tools, I have to renew the license every year, why is that?
Hendra
Actually.. in a few years all software will be on a one year license.. maybe not the OS... but MS has already looked into subscription based licenses and offers them to businesses.
But the theory behind it... good or bad... is that they have staff to pay... and people want updates... and tech support ... so is a simple case of supply and demand... Xilina and Altera also have free versions so you can get the web pack and pay nothing... Modelsim even have a free .. if limited version of their simulator (for xilinx) so its a feast or famine.
It all comes down to who wants to pay and who complains the most. Altium (Protel) tried to go subscription based... I was paying about $500 a year in upgrades before that and I chose when to get the upgrade... the subscription based was $1000 per year... the result as I think, as many a user also felt by the mailing list, was that why bother? their last version, although it has a few bugs (most well known) was extremely stable and very productive, so we all told Altium that subscription = no more $$$$.. Altium in the end backed down and you have a choice of $1000 per year and unlimited number of updates and free next versions or just free service packs and $2000 for the next revision (when you want it).
So the main reason they choose subscription is people want to pay them subscriptions... or collectively (or individually) they have decide everybody else does in our field... so we can. Lets face it.. its good for business... who wants a customer who only pays you when they decide, its not good for cashflow. Subscriptions keep banks and accountants happy and in the end, ensure that the EDA companies keep turning out new bugs/updates on a regular basis to keep you, the end user, happy.
once
Not really. I was told the purchased full version of Quartus runs forever. It then doesn't support the latest chips though.
Rene
-- Ing.Buero R.Tschaggelar - http://www.ibrtses.com & commercial newsgroups - http://www.talkto.net
.......>>> I mean, other very expensive
once
every
Rene is correct. The full version of Quartus received when an annual subscription is purchased, will run forever, with the license provided at the time of the subscription purchase. You do NOT have to renew your license annually to use the version of Quartus that you received as part of the subscription.
For example, lets say you purchased an annual subscription for Quartus in February 2004. Your license file will contain an entry 2005.02. What this means that you will be able to use any version of Quartus released before and including February 2005 for as long as you please. This includes the versions of Quartus to be released between now and February 2005, Quartus II
4.0, 4.0 SP1, Quartus II 3.0, Quartus II 2.2, ....Purchasing an annual subscription provides access to new versions of Quartus during the subscription period. These new versions of Quartus provides support for the new device families introduced when the subscription is in effect, in addition to the improvements in the software.
- Subroto Datta Altera Corp.
Ha, I think you know the answer. The issue isn't "logic", it's what maximizes revenue and what the market will bear. Software vendors also like the financial model, because it's easier to predict revenues and they are less bursty and dependent upon revisions. Stockholders don't like to be surprised from quarter to quarter.
In some cases it makes sense for the customer. Old versions of Synplify aren't much good if they only support Xilinx 4000-series chips. In other cases, the customer doesn't neet an update. For example, for most people, the 1997 version of Microsoft Excel is just as good as the newest version. They don't need updates. However, Microsoft would like to get annual revenue for it, so they are making businesses get subscriptions and they have leverage because they have a monopoly. Another thing they do it make it obsolete by making the new versions incompatible, so when you get a spreadsheet from a new customer you can't look at it in Excel '97. So in some cases the obsolescence is manufactured, while in others it is created by other market forces (like Spartan-XL becoming obsolete).
-Kevin
once
Sounds good. Timed licenses have many pitfalls. One is version control - suppose you archive your source, _and_ the tools ( as many do, on passing into production), then 3-4 years later a fix/rev comes along, and suddenly the tools you thought were archived, are useless.... Another is the tutor who arrives for the CPLD LAB, only to find that since last year, the SW has timed out, and he has to scramble to find someone who knows how to get & fix the license whilst the students [twiddle their thumbs / study diligently / riot ]
^^^ Well, perhaps all non-free software.
- Larry
They don't require you to do that. You just don't get support and upgrades if you don't have a maintenance contract. You can e.g. contact Synopsys and tell them that you will cancel you maintenance contract. You will get a new license file that is valid "forever" (it's typically 20 years or so). However, you will not receive support or free upgrades of the software. If you want to continue your maintenance contract you will have to pay for the missing period and possibly some extra fee as well. Check with your vendors to get the figures.
It can be somewhat difficult to operate a tool chain without a maintenance contract since your next design will use the Virtex VII (and you're using the old ISE 6.4SP11), or your just purchases IP block uses features found in Verilog 2005 (and you have a Verilog 2001 based simulator), etc...
Petter
-- A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text. Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing? A: Top-posting. Q: What is the most annoying thing on usenet and in e-mail?
A. Because Jeopardy is my favorite game show. Q. Why doesn't top posting both me?
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The subscription of Altium would possibly have worked under different conditions. They didn't have a track of successful support. Meaning they have local distributors with a certain staff. I tried to call them a few times in the past. Their gurus were holding classes, sure, they cannot sit around and for my call. I favour the newsgroups, or newlist approach as you mostly find someone with the knowlewdge. As opposed to the employed experts, they don't do projects (anymore). The newsgroups/list are free and therefore no reson for a subscribtion. Then the product delivered together with the subscription was hmm, buggy. I got a call from Altium last september, whether I wished to continue the till now included subscription. The lady appeared quite shocked when I told her that I once installed DXP but never got to use it. The new version DXP2004 is useable, I'm still exploring.
Rene
-- Ing.Buero R.Tschaggelar - http://www.ibrtses.com & commercial newsgroups - http://www.talkto.net
I'm fairly certain this is true of Xilinx ISE as well, although I could be wrong. I don't even think I have a license file, just an activation code when I first install it.
-- Pierre-Olivier -- to email me directly, remove all _N0SP4M_ from my address --
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