Buy or rent a software license?
The choice between purchasing an ESplan® software license and renting long-term versions from competitors depends on various factors. Here are some advantages of purchasing a license compared to renting versions from competitors.
- Cost control and long-term savings
- One-time payment: With a purchased license, you pay the price once and then have no recurring costs. Rental versions (subscription models) require regular payments, which can result in higher overall costs over the years.
- Cost transparency: The total cost of a purchased license is clear and predictable from the outset, while subscription models are often more expensive in the long run, especially when updates and additional features are added.
- Independence from subscriptions and license management
- No subscription risk: With a purchased license, you are not dependent on regular renewal or termination of subscriptions. This reduces the risk of losing access to the software if there are problems with payment or license management.
- Freedom of use: With rental versions, access to the software may be blocked if payment is not made. With a purchased license, you have permanent access to the software.
- Long-term availability and control
- Long-term use: A purchased license gives the company control over the software and access to future versions, updates, or patches. With rental versions, the company may restrict access to older versions or features to force users to upgrade to the latest versions.
- No obligation to upgrade regularly: Users of purchased licenses can decide if and when they want to upgrade to new versions of the software, while rental versions often require automatic updates and upgrades.
- Independence from the software provider
- Availability of the software: With purchased licenses, access to the software does not depend on the financial situation or business practices of the software provider. With rental versions, there is a risk that the provider will discontinue the software or change its terms and conditions (e.g., price increases).
- Control over support: Support for purchased licenses can be guaranteed in the long term without having to worry about renewing a subscription. With rental versions, support may only be available for the duration of the rental license.
- Better customization and expansion options
- License customization: Purchased licenses often offer the option to customize the license terms or add additional modules that can be used in the long term. This offers more flexibility compared to the often rigid licensing models of rental versions.
- No commitment to rental models: With a purchased license, you are not bound by the rental period and any limitations on use (e.g., number of users or functions), as can be the case with rental versions.
- Better planning of IT infrastructure
- Stability and planning security: By purchasing a permanent license, the company can better plan its IT resources, as no annual payments or contract negotiations are required. With rental versions, new contracts must be concluded or renewed on a regular basis, which can lead to uncertainty.
- No risk of price increases
- Fixed price: The price of a purchased license is usually fixed and is not affected by future price increases by the provider. With rental versions, there is always the risk that the provider will increase prices over time, which can lead to higher overall costs.
- Better data sovereignty and security
- Local installation: With a purchased license, the software can often be installed locally on your own servers, giving you more control over data and security standards. With rental versions, especially cloud-based solutions, it can be more difficult to maintain data sovereignty and ensure data protection.
In summary, a purchased license offers advantages over rental versions, particularly in terms of cost control, independence, long-term availability, and flexibility.
For long-term planning and control, a purchased license is advantageous in many cases.
