Shift to a subscription model - your questions are welcome

[Akos Pfemeter]

Dear Community,

You may have already read the press release or the Insights post about our strategic shift to a subscription model. 

Here is a quick summary of the news:

BUDAPEST, April 2, 2024—Graphisoft, the leading Building Information Modeling (BIM) software solution developer for architecture and multidisciplinary design, today announced that, as part of its strategic shift to a sustainable subscription software delivery model, perpetual licenses will be gradually phased out by the end of 2025. This change does not affect the delivery of Software Service Agreement (SSA)/Forward subscription services to existing customers. 

Archicad perpetual and SSA/Forward licenses will be available for new customers through December 31, 2024, and to existing customers through December 31, 2025. Starting in 2026, Archicad will be available only through subscription. Active SSA/Forward contracts will continue to be serviced beyond 2025. Alternatively, SSA/Forward customers can convert to Archicad Collaborate subscriptions at the same price as SSA/Forward. This offer is designed to help existing SSA/Forward subscribers take full advantage of the Archicad Collaborate subscription, which combines award-winning Archicad for architectural design with BIMx and BIMcloud SaaS for fast, efficient, secure, real-time access to shared projects.

Please ask your questions and share your thoughts here -- Graphisoft's expert team will try and provide answer to all sorts of questions you may have!
Thank you.
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Edit by Moderator:  here is the link to the evolving information/FAQ page about this announcement:

https://graphisoft.com/convert-ssa-forward-to-archicad-collaborate/

[MinhNguyen]

Look at Help > License Information. If it says Codemeter, you're good.

Cloud-based license system is introduced in ac27, doesn't mean that all ac27 licenses are cloud-based. Both old and new system lives inside AC27. But there will be a day when Codemeter is deprecated on newer Archicads

[Botonis]

My post had a little taste of irony. Obviously I knew that I am with a Codemeter. But you sait that Codemeter is for V26 and older. So this is a bit confusing when you are on an active 27 SSA and you license is local (Codemeter.

If you say I am good, then I don't see a reason why should I worry!!!!! 

[MinhNguyen]

So sorry, my bad! English is not my native language, so the nuances might have come out wrong!

Just to clarify once more, both license systems (codemeter and cloud-based) are available in both AC27 and AC26 (with the latest update 700x), but you can only use one system at a time. I hope that GS will at least consider maintaining this for as long as possible.

[Martin Jules]

Check it out in both your original or the first agreement with Graphisoft and the latest one. We could all be fooled by Graphisoft.

[mhoude]

Stop paying and you se if you are on a perpetual.

[Martin Jules]

I have been granted the right to use the software in perpetuity. As long as I use it, the company must offer me the option to pay for any updates if I want access to the latest features. In Massachusetts, software support and maintenance contracts are optional:

I am going to look at the legal provisions for Hungary. 

[Karl Ottenstein]

Hi Minh.  As far as I know, the license type (CM physical or virtual, or cloud) doesn't impact Teamwork/BIMcloud  at the moment, does it?  It is just that everyone must be on the same build of AC.  So, I think the compatibility question isn't about licensing, as much as with the subscription refering to automatic, continuous updates (!) - vs the SSA process ... will companies that collaborate with one another find that the company which has been converted to subscription be on a different build of AC than the company that has remained on perpetual/SSA and thus their Teamwork compatibility will be broken?  The FAQ has not addressed that (yet).

[MinhNguyen]

For CM keys, yes, nothing change.

For subscriptions, this is what worries me:

Can I host BIMcloud in my own private cloud with Archicad Collaborate subscription

Yes, Graphisoft is working on a solution to provide this option with the same cloud licensing technology. We will provide you with ETA later.

So it sounds like subscriptions are not yet compatible with BIMcloud?

Also, from this FAQ about cloud licensing:

With the new cloud license:
- You can create new projects in Archicad 27, and
- You can migrate older-version solo projects to Archicad 27
Note: You can’t migrate older-version Teamwork projects, because migration requires running the older-version Archicad, which the cloud license for Archicad 27 does not support.

Last but not least, this comparison chart from GS: no mention of BIMcloud on cloud subscription, and on the left side, Archicad collaboration features implies current BIMcloud?

[thesleepofreason]

The charitable interpretation of that infographic is that it isn't a comparison between two license types (perpetual+SSA and collaborate subscription) but rather a comparison between now and future -  i.e it shows the pro's of the shift in technology. This is why I asked if GS marketing has created a false dilemma? I mean there is really nothing that excludes the possibility of a perpetual+SSA license with built-in updater, continuous updates, flexible management, cloud backup/history/recovery etc. But it is quite hard to believe that GS wouldn't have competence to express this clearly which makes it a case of deceitful marketing where wither perpetual licence + SSA is made too look worse than it is or where the "continued support" will be for a second tier product...

[jl_lt]

I choose... perpetual.

Havent read ALL the (aparently not very acurate) information, but actually, i can say the collaborate montly rental price is quite fair. Why dont you just catter to BOTH markets, small and big firms? there should be an equilibrium point.  Did you know not all offices are as big as SOM or Gensler??  none of them use Archicad by the way.

So, small firms get to keep their perpetuals and maybe some form of SSA and have the ability to pay for collaborate should the need arise, which is always the intention. Graphisoft gets the ocasional cash boost from improved economic conditions from their already installed user base, but we dont necesarilly need to be up to date with everything (we are still on 25 for example, and will be for some time, for as long you dont address the dimensioning tool conundrum there is practically nothing on the roadmap that interests us).

On the other hand, at some point for bigger firms, it should be more efficient just to pay suscriptions for all your workforce and adapt on the go. Offices are always up to date with the software while providing with a constant cash flow for GS, which is what your miopic shareholders really want. Just give it to them and let them stay out of the way!

This way you can keep your user base almost intact, catter to your big offices (lets see how that goes), and also attract new customers.   

that is, until it all comes crashing down because of the AI, of course.

Love to all

[MinhNguyen]

Hmm, not sure if this is directed at me or GS 😅 but if it's for me, I no longer represent GS. What I can do is to try decrypting the new license model to help people understand the current situation with my knowledge of licensing, although I can't guarantee everything is correct, especially when GS doesn't really provide transparent communication till now

[jl_lt]

Sorry Minh, i just hit reply to your comment. My comment was directed at Graphisoft; but, as an abstract corporate entity, i dont expect any kind of reply or empathy from them.

[torben_wadlinger]

As always, I quote the great philosopher Douglas Adams (replace Sirius Cybernetics Corporation with Graphisoft and the quote still remains true) :

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy describes the Marketing Department of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation as: "A bunch of mindless jerks who'll be the first against the wall when the revolution comes."

Curiously, an edition of the Encyclopedia Galactica which fell through a rift in the time-space continuum from 1000 years in the future describes the Marketing Department of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation as: "A bunch of mindless jerks who were the first against the wall when the revolution came."

[Bricklyne Clarence]

Douglas Adams was a visionary prophet and an insightful social commentator, who astutely, accurately and humourously described a lot of aspects of  modern society in the language of a far flung galactic setting.

You can never go wrong with his observations.

[MinhNguyen]

As an ex-employee of GS (not so long ago) and now a BIM manager working on the client side, I could totally see the conflict from both opposing parties. On the software development, subscriptions give businesses a more sustainable revenue stream to develop the software. Anyone here remember Capture One? It was once a great replacement to Lightroom that offered both perpetual and subscriptions, then they had to remove perpetual option and go full subscription. My point is, set aside how buggy AC is and how useless AC's features have been in the past few years, they do need a sustainable model to continue developing the software. The announcement came at an unfortunate time when the economy is struggling everywhere, and they have just replaced their CEO. After all, the point of a company is to generate revenue - they were no longer a small company who had a small passionate team behind an underdog software that everyone remembered and loved, they are now cooperate-size operations that need to make money for their investors.

On the client side, it's totally right that we are raising our concerns about this program. No consumer likes subscriptions. In this day and age, companies have too much power to decide what to keep, what to remove, what to fix, just because users buy into subscription, into their ecosystem and there's no way to get out rather than keep paying. With existing AC customers, since we have all invested thousands, or even millions, into the software, it's a tough pill to swallow when GS announces the subscription model, especially since we all know about the nasty bugs, never-ending wishes that never see the light of day, or incompatibility issues with other vendor software/OS.

That's why the subscription model, even though introduced by GS at least a year ago (or two), couldn't pick up any traction. Part of the problem is the lack of value going for subscription. They should have planned this better, totally agree, but I could see that they are willing to listen (no matter how slow they take). In the end, you will decide (with your wallet) what to do, and that will surely affect GS's strategy.

[mthd]

GS what is my subscription price to continue to use this ruler ?

[Scott Boyd Turner]

$6397.57 incl GST p/a

[Kotetsu]

Currently we are using on-premise servers with software licenses downloaded to them.

With the move to Subscription, do we have to accept the change to a license tied to an individual?

It is no consolation to say that a Cloud license allows you to change your allocation. This is because the members used each day are different, and the reassignment process keeps managers busy.

Also, what will happen to the on-premise BIMcloud that is currently being built?

Graphisoft does not offer any steps for server migration other than to open Archicad, open the BIMcloud project, "save as," append to the new server, and re-link all libraries and hotlinks.

Just imagining the future of doing this makes me dizzy.

[runxel]

What a trainwreck!

But okay, congratulations to Graphisoft, for successfully dismantling itself! 👏🏻

I don't think we even need to talk about what could be how and when and where anymore, that is long gone.

Farewell, it was fun while it lasted!

And you, GS, can serve as a good example of "What Not To Do In Business 101" – at least one good thing coming out of this. 😮‍💨 Phew!

Yes, we all saw it coming, after 5 or so botched versions that neglected what's in the very name of the software. You still hope and think "Noo, they can't be that stupid!".... But we know that you won't stop. Tightening the grip, until everything is squeezed out. I'm with Torben, I think we need to put a legislative end to this madness, worldwide. In the medieval ages this was called "brigandage" by the way, for the historically curious.

Best luck to you all!

[Botonis]

Although I have a perpetual license there wasn't a moment I thought not to pay the SSA. I even use directly any kind of preview updates. In other words I want the most updated versions, with the most updated functions, improvements and inevitably the most updated bugs. Having a mentality of workarounds the good thing is that in almost all cases I have managed to overcome bugs without interfering with the design process. So, if the price for subscription is logical for a more improved Archicad probably it will feel the same as the current state. I think it is the fact that we lose the feeling of safety but the end result is the same. I am trying to be optimistic and see the glass half full. 

[jl_lt]

I also see it half full. I just don't know if it's water or chloridic acid