ANSYS "new packaging" licensing in version 17

[assafwei]

Hi,

I looked at the "whats new" presentations ANSYS released for release 17 and some "new feature" made me angry...
Effective February 2016 ansys will transform its mechanical packages to 3 major packages: Mechanical pro, premium and Enterprise.
I currently have a "structural" license and I understood that it will migrate into "mechanical premium". The main difference that bugs me the most is that the premium version is said to have plasticity models only for rate independent, while currently I am using material models that are also rate dependent, and as I understood that after version 17 I will only have access to rate independent material models.
When I purchased the "structural" license no one told me that in the future I will not have full access to the full material library ANSYS has to offer, but now it seems that this is exactly whats going to happen...

Does anyone have any info on this, could this happen? is it customary in the industry?

Thanks for your answers.

 

[scarules2006]

Hello,

According to my sources you can continue using your current package but only for limited time(I don't know exactly for how long because for me is ok the premium package and I haven't insisted on this issue for more information but for sure is an option).
You can migrate to Enterprise package but it will cost you extra.

Regards

 

[Dave442]

Im not a current ANSYS user but I'd contact your re-seller to clarify that you are correct.

If I paid for a commercial licence and previously advertised features were then put behind an additional paywall I would have a big problem.

 

[assafwei]

I discussed it with my reseller and I understood correctly - he wants to recheck but I know what hte answer will be from the discussion we had.
This is really outrages...
If we take for example the functionality that is important to me - rate dependent plasticity - When I bought the ANSYS Structural package, one of the first things I checked is if it includes rate dependent plasticity.
I downloaded the ANSYS (it was R14) capabilities chart - and there it was - Ansys structural license includes rate dependent plasticity.
Now with the "license repackaging" I have 3 options (and this is what I understoon - if I am wrong I will be happy if someone corrects me):

1. Stay in Ansys structural "legacy" - meaning I will still have to pay TECS, but I will not get any new functionality (lets say for example Ansys adds a rate dependent model - I will not have it, I will only get updated for models I already have - like thats ever going to happen...)
2. Migrate to Ansys premium (no cost) and downgrade my capabilities - no rate dependent plasticity, no adaptive remeshing, etc.
3. Pay extra and "upgrade" to enterprise

If what I understood is correct this is outrages - pay more for things I bought in the past.
If this is correct and I do upgrade to enterprise - who will promise me that in 3 years from now Ansys will not decide to "repack" again and I will again have to pay more money to maintain all the functionality that is now included in enterprise?

All the above is what I understood an what I understood alone - please correct me if Im wrong.

This whole thing doesnt make any sense to me...

 

[reesh]

I've seen this happen with other analysis software I've used in the past. I've purchased and invested considerable time in working with a software package only to find that on a new and "improved" edition they've removed either functionality and/or codes. I worked with a certain piping software package for years only to have them remove certain Codes that I worked to and move them to another software suite. No warning when I renewed, I only found out when I was working on a project that need them.

I also find it extremely frustrating but I guess they figure that they have you locked if you've been using the software for long enough.

 

[assafwei]

Thats the thing Reesh - they dont have me locked...
Just the annual TECS cost (maintanance) is 20% of the total price of the software, meaning 5 years to buy a new package (much less actually becuase the pre paid price is much less than the TECS calculated original price before discounts).
Migrating to a competitor's package is not that big of a deal from the implementation point of view (all of them are pretty much more of the same at the end of the day).
I cant really find a reason to stick with one FEA package or the other if your current one is not treating its customers with respect - because of the TECS issue migrating to a new package is not really a money issue, the migration "pays for itself".
Bottom line - I cant understand the loyalty of the clientele of a certain package to its vendor, it makes no sense...

 

[reesh]

From that standpoint you're in good shape then. We have issues with it because we have a large backlog of previous work in our current software so to switch would mean some "tricks and techniques", macros, etc. that we've established with the current software would be lost or have to be reestablished. I think they also depend on larger companies being too slow or cumbersome to change so they just renew.

 

[scarules2006]

Hi assafwei,

Do you have any news?

Today I recieved some ugly news! If you go to a cheaper license( we had structural and we wanted to go to premium and not enterprise, although we would have lost some functionalities) you have to pay a downgrade tax which is 10%!!!! So, "downgrade" is not a solution...

I'm surprised that we are the only ones who react(4 persons)! Nobody else is intrigued or affected by this subject?

Regards

 

[assafwei]

Hi Scarules,

What do you mean downgrade tax? why would I pay anything if I am willing to downgrade and lose functionality?

Im still waiting to hear from my reseller, I was promised an answer by the end of this week.

Like you - I am really surprised it doesnt bother anyone. I understand reesh's problem - but with all the extra money they are charging it would be cheaper to migrate to another FEA package and rewrite all the specialized scripts / workflows.

From my point of view - if this doesnt go as I see it, I will be migrating to another package (back to the good old FEMAP, or to a completely new package).
One of our daughter companies is using hyperworks and they have only good things to say about it, I didnt really researched hyperworks - but the licensing system sounds pretty good to me (tokens based).
At the end of the day - they are all the same and I dont see a really good reason why to choose one or the other, other than good support and good pricing. I dont like paying to a vendor who doesnt respect its customers.

Another thing that bothers me is the lack of respect for my (or the company I work for) money - I get this all the time - if you pay another 20K$ youll get this and that - but I dont need this and that, I need what I paid for, and then I get - its only 20K$, whats the big deal, you get a huge discount (for things you dont really need and for things you already paid for...). It really gets on my nerves.

Sorry for the long post but it really annoys me.

 

[scarules2006]

My reseller told me yesterday when I received the offer that if we want to migrate from structural to mechanical premium the company has to pay a license remove fee of 10% from it's value.
This is because Ansys policy doesn't encourage downgrade(going from a more expensive license to a cheaper one)!

Of course we also received a huge discount if we migrate to enterprise but we wouldn't use or need the benefits of enterprise, for us it's perfect structural or in the worst scenario mechanical premium...(but now with the fee of 10% this doesn't feel like a good direction)

Im still waiting for the final offer because our company manager is also annoyed by this(he is annoyed by the fact that we are forced to migrate to other packages but I didn't told him yet about the fee!!!)

 

[assafwei]

Today I got the most annoying answer from my reseller.

I asked a simple question - I paid for a package that said it included strain rate dependent materials (structural) - if I will keep paying TECS and stay in structural (legacy) and ANSYS will issue in the next update a new strain rate dependent material - will I get it? it is a strain rate dependent material - and I did buy this functionality originally.

The answer was - I talked with the ANSYS team - and they say they cannot guarentee what will be in the future - basically the answer was "maybe"...

I have a contract with ANSYS, maybe is not a part of it, they should give a definitive answer so I can make a desicion based on it.

This is what I am talking about when I am saying they don't respect their customers.

If my customer asked me if a certain product I sell will have a specific function - there are only two options, and maybe is not one of them.

ANSYS are frustrating...

 

[scarules2006]

Hi Assafwei,

Do you have any update/news?

Regards!

 

[assafwei]

Hi,

I ended up upgrading after getting a good price, still dont think I should have paid but the price was good so we upgraded.