SSA 2024 COST INCREASE?

[Fritz T]

Good morning all.

I would like to ask comment from SSA users in other international locations on if they have been advised of an increase in monthly SSA cost for 2024? 

SSA subscribers in South Africa have been advised of a cost increase for 2024 that equates to 21% over the previous year, and I believe it excessive and out of proportion to previous years.

The local AC Graphisoft licensee claims this increase was brought about by Graphisoft, so this just to query that. 

please assist? 

[Martin Jules]

The high percentage of the rising costs every year becomes a scam. Generally, price increase should follow the inflation curve. Beyond 3 to 4%, it’s worth questioning.

[Fritz T]

🙂no offense meant...

[gpowless]

The increase in prices of any commodity has little to do with the research, development or maintenance of the product. Rather it is about a return on investment for shareholders. You see as companies grow and then enter the investment market their duty switches to the shareholders -  not the consumers. When ROI looks good it increases stock value and entices more investment. 

Graphisoft is no different.

They develop just a little - just enough to keep current users continuing purchasing subscriptions or renewals - and as long as we pay, companies will not change their corporatist behavior. That isn't to say that the lower end programmers and developers of the technology don't care but they are limited by budgets and upper management decisions to delay the release of important improvements .So like the OCD plagued masochists we imagine ourselves to be, we keep coming back for more. They know how hard it is for architects and designers to divest after using their proprietary software for decades. 

They have only offered us the blue pen. To realize change we must be willing to go back to using the red pencil instead. (Something I have always realized in life in general that while it may not be as fast or efficient, low technology will always win over new technology.)

[rdo]

Hi MASZ, What is the percentage increase in Australia in 2024? We get hit by 96% increases from April 2024.

[MASz]

The yearly subscription cost has risen from AU$1980 to AU$2300 excluding tax.

Central Innovation, my Archicad provider, wrote the following:
"This price increase is due to a significant increase in the product price by Graphisoft. While we've absorbed a significant portion of the increase, we've had to adjust our prices to ensure the continuity of our services."

[KB-at-CWA]

The finance person in my office just worked it out at 18% if you take in to account there was a price increase already this financial year and it is 21% increase if you don't. This has me very worried as the office I am at is only 18 months into its Archicad journey and they still have an old software package and they may just stop their subscription over this and go back. The management team are very offended over what has happened. As for my personal solo license I think I will have to cancel my subscription as I can't cover the costs.

This is a disaster.

[KB-at-CWA]

So who signed off on this disproportionate increase?

Graphisoft has announced that American Huw Roberts is leaving his role as CEO by mutual agreement. He has been replace by Daniel Csillag.

Csillag has a background at Nemetschek, having served as CEO at Nevaris and General Manager of Bluebeam (DACH region) from 2017 to 2022. Since then, he has been Chief Revenue Officer at Thinkproject, a software company focused on construction and asset management. His LinkedIn states his experience leading “units up to 600 employees” and has successfully reorganized three firms to “turn around declining revenues back into double-digit growth.”

[mthd]

😳

[MASz]

At this point, I am seriously considering not renewing my subscription. I need to explore that option with my reseller. Perhaps I can resume it in future when Graphisoft have cleaned up their act, but the state of Archicad 27 is really poor and based on recent communication with Graphisoft, I have very little hope in the future of Archicad.

I would encourage others to consider whether renewing their subscription is worth it. Possibly raise complaints with the local reseller. Graphisoft are begging to lose customers with their current trajectory.

I have to assume that there is a deep incompetency there, internal problems, business culture problems. Just look at how badly their bugs are handled, bugs that should not even be there in the first place. Replacing the CEO probably only goes so far. Many instances in the corporate world where a change of leadership does not result in any improvement. Would be nice to be proven wrong, I'd like to see some fireworks soon.

[mthd]

Everyone has to make his own business decisions for the future and what they can and can’t budget for. The problem is that when you drop the SSA, it costs a lot to upgrade again and who knows when they will catch the sub only bug ? I hope they don’t follow the US market and only provide subscriptions only. If they do that there is probably one good side to that, in that they are forced to compete for business and that may cause them to lift their game. Who knows but I detest subscriptions only but if the price is right and the product is very good I might be persuaded to change.