Blog Understanding SOLIDWORKS Licensing
Having options is one of the most important factors in purchasing anything. Think of something as simple as ice cream – as you enter that endless grocery aisle of flavors and sizes, you have as many options as you could ever want. Options allow you, as a consumer of that product, to buy the perfect solution to the problem you’re trying to solve. Needing Ice Cream isn’t the worst problem to have to solve – but if you’re trying to purchase a CAD Package that you’re going to trust for your company’s designs, why would you ever limit your options?
SOLIDWORKS understands that every company has a different set of needs. Some companies have a huge engineering team, and all of them would need eventual access to the SOLIDWORKS software. In those larger companies, you may have other departments that sometimes need to open files, but they’re not going to be a “power user,” and you may not want or need them to have a license of SOLIDWORKS. In those cases, Network Licenses give you the flexibility to “float” licenses to different machines.
The 2nd license type offered from SOLIDWORKS is the Standalone license. A standalone license is a “personal license,” purchased for a specific user, without any need to connect to a license server. If you ever need to use a standalone license on a different machine – you can transfer your activation of that license in between computers – all you need is an internet connection.
Both standalone and network licenses of SOLIDWORKS are perpetual. Meaning once you buy that software, you own it, forever. If we go back to the Ice Cream options though, sometimes you just want a scoop of vanilla on a cone. You don’t want to have to keep the leftovers in the freezer, or you just need a quick snack. In SOLIDWORKS license terms, that’s a Term License.
Term licenses are available for 3 or 12 months at a time. They work like the standalone license, meaning they are for a specific user, but they do expire at the end of the term purchased. The perfect choice for people who may not use SOLIDWORKS throughout the entire calendar year, or for just adding a license to your arsenal because you’ve hired a new temporary employee. Or maybe you’re a consultant, and you just need SOLIDWORKS for a quick project – but you don’t necessarily need it forever. Whatever the reasons may be for you, term license can fill many different needs.
Options are important, SOLIDWORKS understands that and provides multiple solutions that can fit any customer’s needs. So don’t limit your options, and let one of our Sales Professionals help you find the perfect flavor.