JetBrains Amends Change in Licensing Structure
September 22, 2015
By
Casey Houser, Contributing Writer
JetBrians, a software development company that creates products for both software developers and project managers, recently announced a change in its product license structure. However, outcry against those changes has caused the company to reconsider its position.
JetBrains' initial intention was to shift from a perpetual licensing model to a monthly and annual subscription system. The latest report from InfoQ indicates that the software development company has amended that original idea by allowing for a perpetual fallback license and the allowance to use company software without an Internet connection.
The first of these amendments, the perpetual fallback license, allows users to continue to use a specific version of JetBrains' software without having an active subscription with the company. Business clients that pay for an annual subscription or 12 consecutive months of a monthly subscription will automatically receive a fallback license.
The way in which JetBrains will facilitate offline usage will change how it normally completes software version checks. Instead of searching online for a software license, it will instead check an on-site license key that will confirm the validity of the product.
InfoQ notes that the amendments have received more favorable comments than the initial round of changes. To the delight of satisfied individuals, these changes are reportedly final and not subject to further changes.
JetBrains supposedly wanted to make the switch to a subscription model because it would help with its cash flow as it moves forward. The company admits that it cannot continue to attract new users forever, so a more consistent cash flow could help the company continue to develop its products for existing customers while allowing those new features to attract new clients.
Current customers will get a break in costs. In accordance with the latest round of changes, current customers can get two years' worth of subscription for the price of one. And current customers will reportedly get a 40 percent discount for a continuous subscription. Once users ascend the hurdle of these changes, they may begin to see the benefits of staying with JetBrains by absorbing discounts and finding more new features regularly added to its products.
Edited by Maurice Nagle