Below is a video of an interview of Autodesk CEO Carl Bass by Andrew Keen. At about 2 minutes into the video, Bass states that in 2 to 3 years, Autodesk Products will be Online Only –which, and I’m guessing here, likely means a ‘subscription only’ sales model. Most of the companies I know of update their software as infrequently as humanly possible to squeeze every last nickel out of what is a very expensive purchase in the case of most Autodesk Products. Please click the ‘Continue reading’ link below, take our poll on the issue, and sound off on the Autodesk Products Online Only sales tactic in the comments.
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I sincerely hope they don't go this direction or they will loose me as a customer!
I've been using AutoCAD since 1984 and feel I've been a very loyal customer. This is one area that has kept me from exploring other software packages.
Don't force me to online use our I'll stay with older products.
I've even lost trust with AutoDesk's China branch and will not upload any data sets to them anymore so I will not work on our projects on line!
Hi Rodney,
I heard rumors of this back at Autodesk University 2008, and deep down I really didn’t think they would pull such a bone-headed move. I can see the little ‘apps’ being cloud based only, but Inventor, AutoCAD, or any other of the large programs that companies rely on for their livelihood —-not so much.
The shipyard I used to work for had huge problems getting information back and forth to suppliers because the town of 50,000(ish) was connected to the internet via a string and two cans —well, not quite. There was only one can.
The point is, the worlds internet infrastructure is not anywhere near ready for implementation of pipe dreams of this proportion, and the further you get from city centers, you know –where people will actually be using the software –the worse it gets.
Most of the non entertainment-related Autodesk product users I have meet will see this, as you have, as a slap in the face by a company that seems to be abandoning its roots in Engineering and Design for the bright lights of Hollywood.
There are many other reasons as well, but I’ll have to get to those in another comment.:)
Mark Randa
I honestly hope that they are not that stupid.
It's an expensive licence and the tool is used to create really sensitive intellectual property. there isn't a project manager or CEO in the his/her right mind that would trust that kind of data "in the Cloud"
Hi Herve,
Beyond the trust in the cloud is the perpetual dribbleware prospect. Once an online only subscription format is established, you can no longer wait for a stable version to come out –or hold off on upgrading because the cash is not there. What does one do in those cases? Do you shut the design division of the company down until times get better? Go out of business?
Mark Randa
have to consider users of stand alone secure networks that have no external connections. No such thing as online!!
Hi Wayne,
I agree. I don't think this will fly outside of the corporate echo chamber where all ideas are good ideas. –but if Autodesk wants to have another "New Coke" moment, so be it. Just look at the moronic decision a few years back to call Autodesk Inventor "AutoCAD Inventor". The idiot who came up with that gem should be fired, then re-hired so he/she can be fired again
Mark Randa