SolidWorks Injects Flexibility Into Software Licensing

What engineering shop doesn’t want flexibility when budgeting for CAD software and other design tools.

Traditional licensing models require a significant upfront investment in the software, often precluding smaller shops from appointing their engineering teams with the depth and breadth of CAD and related design tool functionality required to get the job done. Cloud software provides a more flexible model, but not every company is comfortable moving design processes and more importantly, design intellectual property to a cloud platform. There’s also the very real fact that company workloads and needs change from project-to-project, which means a one-size software license isn’t always the best fit.

Enter Dassault Systèmes’ newest licensing offer for its SolidWorks portfolio. The latest term licensing model, available for all SolidWorks desktop products, gives customers a more flexible and scalable way to procure SolidWorks tools. Term licensing lets users own the right to use SOLIDWORKS software for a predefined and renewable period of time, without having to make a significant upfront investment to acquire tools as they do with a traditional perpetual licensing model. According to Dassault, this enables customers to lower upfront costs while also providing immediate access to new releases and upgrades—a perceived benefit of the SaaS model. It also lets companies scale the number of seats they need when they need them, accommodating workforce changes as well as unpredictable budgets.

The SolidWorks term licensing plan enables companies to optimize license costs by aligning software access with business needs. There’s an ability to easily change products at the end of each term, so there’s no lock-in—design teams can add or divest of design, simulation, manufacturing or other SolidWorks capabilities as needed. The term SolidWorks license is good for three months or one year, depending on what’s chosen.

Additional benefits associated with the new software licensing plan include:

Immediate access to new releases and upgrades: This enables shops to stay current and enjoy the latest functionality while also getting timely updates that address important issues with service packs.

Local technical support: There’s an ability to access live technical support from certified experts at local Value-Added Resellers (VARs), including telephone assistance. Dassault Systèmes maintains relationships with 400 SolidWorks VARs.

Access to resources: The plan covers unlimited 24/7 access to online training and resources, including the SolidWorks User Forum to connect with a like-minded community, along with Knowledge Base, a searchable, extensive library of technical data, including Q&As, help topics, and technical tips.

Certification exams: Users can validate their proficiency and demonstrate professional competency through SolidWorks’ certification program. As part of this resource, users can tap into certification preparation materials as well as exams to study up.

SolidWorks Visualize: Professional and Premium term license customers will gain access to this capability used to create photo-quality images of 3D data, allowing for better collaboration and model sharing.

Check out this video to learn what’s new in SolidWorks’ browser-based roles.

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