Solidworks Dropped Online Licensing - Gouging Customers

[Marvel]

This is just bizarre. Especially in such times as these when more and more people are being forced to work from home.

Imagine Netflix telling customers that your license must now be locked to a certain tv or device? Log out of the living room and log in to the bedroom.

I can use Fusion 360 on any device at any location. What a concept.

It’s just such a backwards move it’s hard to even comprehend.

Makes me a little worried about investing any more money in Soildworks.

Sounds like a desperate move.

John


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It doesn't prevent you from using SolidWorks on multiple computers. You can still deactivate the license on one computer and activate it on the next. The downfall is if you forget to deactivate it on say a work computer and you are at home and want to access it, you can't deactivate it remotely.

There's other options as well

- As stated earlier HawkRidge devolved a HawkWare Deactivation Reminder App that when you close out of SolidWork it automatically prompts you to deactivate and when you open SolidWorks on either or any device it does the same, activates your license, essentially accomplishing the same thing an online license would do.

- Network Licensing - costly

- 3D Experience - This is similar to online licensing but has its own limits and your license needs to be a subscription


Here's a link with more information - SOLIDWORKS Online Licensing Is Retiring: What You Need to Know

 

[empower]

i wonder if shit like this will drive people to use pirated software more...
hypothetically one could buy a decent cad/cam workstation for 2-3k and install pirated stuff on there, keep it airlocked (disconnected from the internet) and just transfer shit to/from via usb drive. slightly less convenient, but a hell of a lot cheaper than this kinda bullshit...

hypothetically of course!

 

[boosted]

i wonder if shit like this will drive people to use pirated software more...

1000% - Then they will use that as justification to jack up the costs even more for those of us who are stuck paying for their trash due to ethical or logistical barriers.

 

[JohnWLMT]

Maybe a third option for some.

I use Hp Remote Boost to access my workstation at work from home and vice versa.

Not the greatest with a bit of lag but it does work for small projects.

Also allows me to drop the license on either end remotely.

John


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[empower]

1000% - Then they will use that as justification to jack up the costs even more for those of us who are stuck paying for their trash due to ethical or logistical barriers.

not a good time to have ethics/morals...

 

[gustafson]

Maybe a third option for some.

I use Hp Remote Boost to access my workstation at work from home and vice versa.

Not the greatest with a bit of lag but it does work for small projects.

Also allows me to drop the license on either end remotely.

John


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

i use a remote software also, and can do this, even from my phone. Assuming I can see my phone.

I started doing this years ago so I could print invoices and shipping labels on my work computer and could be away from the office for days without losing productivity

 

[SeymourDumore]

I am looking at this a bit differently.
The way I see it, Dassault is NOT going in the direction of ADSK with licensing.
It looks like they are not interested in a strict "named user" scheme, AND they are doubling down on keeping the network licensing alive.
Complete 180 from Autodesk.

 

[gregormarwick]

I am looking at this a bit differently.
The way I see it, Dassault is NOT going in the direction of ADSK with licensing.
It looks like they are not interested in a strict "named user" scheme, AND they are doubling down on keeping the network licensing alive.
Complete 180 from Autodesk.

There is a reason for that though - D'Assault, specifically Solidworks, do not have any real captivity over their user base the way AD do.

It is MUCH easier to migrate away from Solidworks to a competing product than it is to migrate away from some of AD's products. I'm not talking about Inventor, which is equivalent to SW as far as I am concerned, but AD have a number of products that are effectively industry standards (by way of adoption, if not necessarily function) in a way that SW is not.

 

[SeymourDumore]

There is a reason for that though - D'Assault, specifically Solidworks, do not have any real captivity over their user base the way AD do.

It is MUCH easier to migrate away from Solidworks to a competing product than it is to migrate away from some of AD's products. I'm not talking about Inventor, which is equivalent to SW as far as I am concerned, but AD have a number of products that are effectively industry standards (by way of adoption, if not necessarily function) in a way that SW is not.

That is correct, albeit there is a possible contender for that market by way of Bricsys.
We'll see if Hexagon screws it up or gives ADSK a real run for their money.

 

[boosted]

We'll see if Hexagon -- gives ADSK a real run for their money.

No chance. They are buying everything up to reduce competition; not encourage it. These platforms are so massive that there isn't any room for a disruptive startup to actually push the giant software companies to improve. The smaller companies that are getting consumed usually have decades of development that is getting consolidated or (too often) lost.

 

[Plane Parts]

I'm not familiar with all the licensing terminology but I currently have sw installed in the shop and in the house. I switch back and forth daily. If I'm going to work in the shop I just deactivate it in the house and reactivate it in the shop. It takes 20 seconds or so. It looks like this will still be supported. Right? Will this work?

Don't get too comfortable doing that. SW limits that option to 999 times. I haven't hit that yet but from the blogs on SW they will require a new license. Or I suppose you could beg the lack of-VAR

 

[BugRobotics]

Don't get too comfortable doing that. SW limits that option to 999 times. I haven't hit that yet but from the blogs on SW they will require a new license. Or I suppose you could beg the lack of-VAR

Hmm didn't know about that limit. Does is reset every year? Feels like SolidWorks is trolling their users.

 

[len_1962]

I use remote desktop to either via VPN connection or local network connection at work to use our seat of SW from various PC's either at home our around the shop.

Works great and you don't have to pay for a SW network license.
there is no deactivating\reactivating nothing login and rock!

Though you must have Windows Pro version, home version remote desktop is not included.
been doing this now for over 4 years, no having to carry drives between locations.
I do use GrabCAD Workbench for the rare occasion of an internet connection going down files are available online.