New Licensing

[Darryl Ramm]

Nobody really has any idea what any of this means until the actual details are presented/license agreements available. Terms like support, subscriptions, dot releases, maintenance releases, updates, upgrades, etc. need to be clearly defined by Avid. And assuming they mean something specific in a license agreement is a risk.

Wether new features in future would be delivered by permanent upgrades or be subscription based features or not is unclear to me, I can read a lot of what Avid says in different ways. We just won't know until we know. This has been just an awful/incompetent way to announce a major change to licensing plans.

[propower]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

They are bundling this with cloud storage and collaboration tools which probably brings the total cost in line with what many people just pay for cloud storage. That's a win/win for professionals and for Avid who are already in the cloud storage business for video.

AVID is not forthcoming at all about the details of any cloud services that will be included. So far - we have no idea what storage and Bandwidth will be given with an ASS or if these will have tiers of services for extra costs.

[WinTaper]

Avid: Are you a Pro-Tools 11 user?

Me: Yes, I bought PT11 when it first came out.

Avid: Well, we want you to pay more for it.

Me: Really? What do I get for it?

Avid: Right now, nothing but support. But in the future you will get free upgrades.

Me: I've never used support - why would I want to pay for it now?

Avid: Because you cannot get the next version without it.

Me: Why can't I just pay you when there is actually a new version?

Avid: Well, you can - but then we are going to charge you even more, and you still have to buy the support plan. Otherwise you cannot upgrade.

Me: This doesn't sound very good to me.

Avid: It sounded great to our shareholders...

[Bob Olhsson]

Originally Posted by propower

...So far - we have no idea what storage and Bandwidth will be given with an ASS or if these will have tiers of services for extra costs.

So what's your problem?

What we do know is that Microsoft is bundling a terabyte of cloud space with every Office subscription so it needs to be a pretty damned good deal for them to not look absolutely ridiculous even to their stockholders. I suspect they are still figuring out how much space is appropriate as the "right" amount is a moving target at the moment.

[JFreak]

Originally Posted by propower

purchasing ASS

This troubles me

[29CountsNY]

Unfortunately for a company a subscription model is the best model for revenue.
I mean I was watching TV the other day and now Target is offering a subscription service. I can have paper towels and toilet paper delivered every 3rd of the month now with their new subscription model. Or if I need Blu-Ray discs every month NewEgg is offering a subscription service so I can get blank media delivered to me.......WTF????????????????
Personally I think it is a horrible idea, but then again, I am person, not a corporation.

We have no one to blame but the consumer. And the people that bought into the Adobe subscription model!! HAHAHA

[29CountsNY]

Originally Posted by propower

purchasing ASS

Which technically is illegal in the US!!

[SamboBing]

Originally Posted by propower

purchasing ASS

I thought that was illegal in most states

EDIT: Looks like 29CountsNY beat me to the punch

[propower]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

So what's your problem?

What we do know is that Microsoft is bundling a terabyte of cloud space with every Office subscription so it needs to be a pretty damned good deal for them to not look absolutely ridiculous even to their stockholders. I suspect they are still figuring out how much space is appropriate as the "right" amount is a moving target at the moment.

Bob I very much respect you and I truly have no desire to fight with you. I did object to your assertion that what AVID would be including (since they haven;t said what it is themselves) could possibly replace what cloud services users currently use. That MS or any one else gives "x" away is surely relevant but in no way suggests that AVID will work the same way. Then again - you may very well have knowledge i do not.

(PS -- look at my address - The MS cloud initiative is their way to survival in this new world and you can hardly imagine the amount of resources they are pouring into this ...)

My real "problem" is as quoted below - based in the facts as presented to us - the future of my PTHD license that I have owned since 1998. I will subsequently back down from any speculative discussion of what "else" may or may not ever be included and focus on my (as I see it) very reasonable question....

Originally Posted by propower

So WRT already owned PT11/PT11HD the only relevant sentence to ongoing licensing should one let their ASS lapse is...

Q. I just purchased an upgrade to Pro Tools 11. Are you saying that I now have to additionally purchase this upgrade?
A. No, you can choose to wait and purchase standard support upon the next Pro Tools release to get on the one-year support/upgrade plan. However, if you choose never to purchase standard support, you will not be able to upgrade your software beyond Pro Tools 11, meaning you will miss out on being able to collaborate with other Pro Tools users through the cloud and sell your music in the Avid Marketplace.

SO: once again we really don't know what this means:
- Clearly no upgrades from PT11/HD without purchasing ASS
BUT....
- Will we always be able to buy into the support plan? If so how much does it cost? what happens if there is a lapse?
- If we are not be able to buy back in if our ASS lapses?? then what?? And what are the associated costs?

Please AVID - everyone just wants to know what terms of the license agreement are changing to (exactly) and what will be the ongoing cost. Two VERY reasonable questions.

[29CountsNY]

Originally Posted by SamboBing

I thought that was illegal in most states

EDIT: Looks like 29CountsNY beat me to the punch

We gotta find the humor in this nonsense some place right!!