[discussion] Schema of Valentina server licensing

[Ruslan Zasukhin]

on 6/20/03 1:44, Robert Brenstein at rjb at rz.uni-potsdam.de wrote:

>> You can continue to buy the next versions of the single user SDKs
>> outside of this plan. However this plan would include several tiers that
>> include either one "Pro" version of an SDK (such as V4RB for Mac, V4RB
>> for Windows), C++ SDK, or all of the SDKs, plus the ability to
>> distribute royalty free 5 connection server apps. The subscription style
>> would limit the time you could distribute new server applications to
>> having a paid up subscription. But you'd also get free upgrades to the
>> covered products during that time.
> 
> 
> The subscription model works fine for MetaCard, for example. Each
> major release is really solid and there are only a couple of those a
> year at most. Further, nothing impedes using the older version as
> long as I wish, if I don't care for new features.
> 
> A potential problem that I see in this model as applied to Valentina
> is the issue of bug fixes and feature additions/improvements.
> 
> With Valentina, I have already been several times in the situation
> that I had to upgrade because new version fixed a bug that was
> affecting my work.
> 
> Considering the frequency of new releases that Ruslan comes with and
> still a long path for Valentina to become mature, we may get stuck in
> a situation that an older version has bugs but it is no longer
> supported and we have to upgrade against our wishes. Or a new feature
> is added that we waite for but its implementation took longer than
> planned (should I list a few things that I still wait for, although
> they have been discussed for a few years now?)

Hi Robert,

You say right things.

And I want point once again, that Paradigma as any other software company
need more resources to get more developers to make more quality products.

For example right now, 3 (!!!) developers only write and write and write
tests for SQL of Valentina 2.0.

I hope everybody understand, that single 'ruslan' with all his efforts will
not be able in short term produce something mature and big.

-----------------
And JOKE :-)
Robert, so release are too frequent or you wait too long for new features?

---------------
Guys, I just want to say, that we develop Valentina 2.0 kernel totally from
scratch. We use new methods of design, new methods of TESTS(!). We grow our
team. If all will be all right, next months we will get one more full time
developer.  

I say all this in mean that we now do NOT hurry with 2.0,
But we do all the best to produce really quality product from box.

> So far, this has been only a matter of effort but now it may also be
> an issue of money if just happens that our license has expired. Are
> you, Ruslan, ready to promise providing bug fixes for older versions
> in paralell to ongoing development?

Our bugs do not live long :-)

Robert, you ask about 1.x?
Or about future?  
I think we will do right thing for software industry.


> I guess what I am questionning is not the sales model as such but
> whether Valentina is a mature enough product to switch to using a
> subscription model at this time.

Robert, note, we speak now about Valentina 2.0


> By the way, it is not clear to me from this discussion whether the
> pricing of non-server products remains as it was or are these also
> switched to the subscription model?

YES.

If you want V4RB or VXCMD single user, you simply buy it for the same price
by the same rules. 

In fact this single user products probably will get many features from
server, e.g. Record locks and may be transactions. This features still have
sense for single user products in case you open few windows for the same
table.


-- 
Best regards,
Ruslan Zasukhin      [ I feel the need...the need for speed ]
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e-mail: ruslan at paradigmasoft.com
web: http://www.paradigmasoft.com

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