Autodesk Announces End of Sales for AutoCAD Licensing Model

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Autodesk Inc. is ending sale of AutoCAD licensing model. Effective January 31, 2016, Autodesk will discontinue selling new perpetual (standalone or network) licenses of most standalone products and transition AutoCAD Products to subscription only.

The subscription model will allow greater flexibility as Autodesk is offering consumers ways to align the software according to individual/business needs along with low cost trials and multiple machine/device access and immediate cloud access.

Commenting on the move, Pankaj Gauba, Country Manager Channels - India and SAARC said “Autodesk’s leadership position has been earned through many “firsts” and on-going innovation over the past 30 years – first mainstream CAD product with AutoCAD, first to introduce BIM to the market, first to offer a cloud-based PLM and simulation solution and now the first to develop full blown CAD in the cloud. The gradual transitioning to subscription-only model is another in the series that will benefit the business and consumers interests alike. Autodesk is committed to finding solutions that will ease the transition to subscription-based models. Throughout this transition, we will work with our partners and customers to ensure that these changes do not prevent the purchase and use of Autodesk software.”

New licenses for these products will be available for multi-year, annual and quarterly terms. Active maintenance subscription agreements on previously purchased perpetual licenses will continue to be renewable. In the first phase of this transition, new seats of most standalone desktop software products will generally be available only as a desktop subscription beginning February 1, 2016.

Autodesk is doing several things to make the transition as smooth as possible for customers. Providing a full year of advance notice for time needed to assess options, allowing maintenance subscribers to continue renewing and receive the benefits and also making Autodesk Account the one place to manage all Autodesk products, subscriptions and services.