Top 10 things to know about the Move to Subscription

Here are some important considerations to help you decide whether to switch from maintenance to a subscription.

Key consideration	What it means for you

The earlier you switch, the more you will save.	You can secure a lower price by switching earlier. Your renewal price will remain significantly lower than the cost of renewing a maintenance plan or purchasing a full price subscription.
Perpetual licenses on maintenance will be replaced with subscription licenses.	Your perpetual license rights terminate and are replaced with term-based subscription rights, at a significant discount. You have access to software while you remain active on a subscription. When your subscription ends, you no longer have access to the perpetual software you switched.
You can continue to access eligible previous versions that were downloaded and activated on maintenance, if the product is included in the new subscription.	For products included in the new subscription, you can continue using eligible previous versions that you downloaded and activated under your maintenance plan. Access continues as long as you renew your subscription. When your subscription ends, you no longer have access to the current version or any previous versions.
Subscriptions with single-user accessrequire internet connectivity.	You need to access the internet when you first start the software, and at least once every 30 days thereafter.
The products and services included in Design & Creation Suites differ from what is included in Industry Collections.	The products and cloud services included in the subscription to which you are moving might be different than what you currently have under maintenance. See Industry Collections for more information.
Term lengths are fixed.	The term length cannot be changed after switching to subscription. When you renew, your subscription will be renewed at the same term length (1, 2, or 3-year term). See Subscription Contract Management for more information.
Special pricing is only available once per seat.	Switch to a product that supports your current and future needs; the Move to Subscription special pricing can be utilized only *once* per seat of a product on maintenance. Any future changes will require a new purchase at full price (such as changing to a different product or term length).
Standalone licenses cannot be switched to network licenses and vice-versa.	You will not be able to change the access type (also known as deployment type) when you switch. If your perpetual license is a network license, it will be switched to a subscription with multi-user access. If your perpetual license is a standalone license, it will be switched to a subscription with single-user access.
Reinstalling existing software is not required immediately after you switch.	You are not required to reinstall software immediately when making the switch. You are required to uninstall products that are not included in the new subscription. Contact us about this for more information.

Special Offer Pricing

The sooner you switch, the better the pricing. You can switch from maintenance to a subscription only at the time of renewal. If you switch before May 2019, you not only get the lowest price, but you can secure pricing for up to 3 years (your first 2 renewals). Whether you switch before or after May 2019, your subscriptions switched from maintenance will be renewed at a discount, resulting in an ongoing renewal price that is below the price of a maintenance renewal and far below the price of a new subscription. The discounted price when switching only applies when you switch an eligible product on maintenance to a subscription. It does not apply to purchases of additional products or seats. The offer is available when your maintenance plan is eligible for renewal, and you can choose to switch some, or all seats on your maintenance plan.

Subscription Licensing

Unlike perpetual licensing where you purchase licenses up front and access your software with no end date, subscription licensing is term-based (for example, annual, or multi-year). As with any subscription, if you do not renew, you lose access to the software and benefits provided by that subscription. These benefits include previous versions, extended cloud storage, additional cloud service capabilities, technical support, and product updates. However, you would not lose access to your data and intellectual property.

Additionally, when switching your maintenance plan to a subscription, you forfeit the right to your perpetual license in return for the deep and sustained discounted subscription price.

Like perpetual licensing, there are two types of subscription licensing: dedicated, individual licensing, known as a subscription with single-user access, and shared network licensing, known as a subscription with multi-user access.

Previous Version Rights

If you currently use a previous version of a product that was installed and activated under your maintenance previous version benefit, you can continue to use that version after you switch to a subscription.

For example, if you are using AutoCAD 2012 as a previous version on your maintenance plan and you switch to a subscription of the AEC Collection, you can continue to use AutoCAD 2012 because: your new AEC Collection contains AutoCAD; and you previously installed and activated AutoCAD 2012 while on maintenance. This is true even though AutoCAD 2012 is no longer on the eligible Previous Version list.

However, if you are switching to a subscription that does not contain a product that you are currently using, you will not be able to use that product’s current or previous version.

Internet Requirement

Internet connectivity is a requirement of subscription with single-user access. Connectivity is required the first time you run the software and every 30 days thereafter. If your site does not have internet access, you can still take advantage of subscription if you are switching to a subscription with multi-user access. In this case, internet connectivity is required only to generate and maintain the license file for the license server on your local network, and end-user access to the internet is not required.

Subscription Contract Management

You can switch your maintenance plan of any term length (1, 2, or 3 years) to a 1, 2, or 3-year subscription. You can place the new subscriptions switched from maintenance on a new subscription contract, or you can add them to an existing subscription contract. In either case, your maintenance plan expires on the original expiration date, after which access to the new subscriptions will start. You cannot change the term length of your subscriptions switched from maintenance, even at renewal, unless you purchase a new subscription.

Accessing Subscription Software

When you set up the new subscription, you get the latest features, enhancements, and support. You are not required to immediately uninstall your software after you switch. When you are ready, certain steps are required to complete your switch to subscription.

For more information about switching and the options available to you please contact us.

For more information please contact us today!