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Perpetual License Owners Face Subscription Demands
21 Jul
Summary
- Perpetual license holders are losing access to updates and support.
- Software vendor now requires subscriptions for continued access.
- Vendor refuses to provide installers for unsupported licenses.
JAM Software, the developer of TreeSize, is transitioning perpetual license holders to a subscription model. Customers whose maintenance periods have expired are discovering that extending support now necessitates subscribing to the software. This change means losing access to updates and technical assistance, a situation that has caused significant user frustration.
A key point of contention is JAM Software's policy of not providing installers or license keys for unsupported perpetual licenses. The company states this is a longstanding practice, citing security vulnerabilities and the overhead of maintaining old versions. Despite user complaints, JAM Software maintains that customers retain indefinite use of the purchased software version, thus not warranting refunds.
The company's shift to subscriptions reflects a broader trend in the software industry towards recurring revenue models. JAM Software explains this transition is necessary for long-term development and support reliability, especially amidst challenging economic conditions. While a free version of TreeSize is available, it has limited features and is not for business use.
