maintenance, free for the first year?

[grob]

Does anyone know for sure wether you get the first years maintenance free with mathcad?

Wiki says "For Mathcad 15.0 and future versions of Mathcad the first year of maintenance entitlements and support will be included in the purchase or upgrade price."

But my reseller tells me that "All PTC software requires the first years maintenance to be purchased seperately."

My company bought mathcad 15 a few months back and would like to upgrade to prime and I beleive we have to have an active maintenance agrrement to do this.

Thanks

[bedmonds]

Gareth, the reseller is correct in stating that PTC sells maintenance as a separate line item. I believe the confusion here is specifically around Mathcad Single User upgrades: in the past, these customers did not have the option to purchase maintenance - to receive the next major release of Mathcad, they would have to purchase it (at a discounted, upgrade price). With the release of Mathcad 15.0, PTC no longer offers the Single User product type; it is now called Professional - Individual, and maintenance is an option. The TOTAL price of a Professional - Individual license with maintenance is the same as the price of a Single User was at version 14.0 - so the perception is that the cost of the first year of maintenance has been 'bundled in' on Individual licenses. But maintenance is still listed as a separate line item on the purchase. For floating licenses, maintenance is still a separate and additional cost.

[TyeAldana]

My employer purchased a Proffessional-Individual--node locked copy of MathCAD 15 for me with one year of maintenance. The year of maintenance has expired several months ago. I have Math Cad 15 installed on my work computer and on my home computer. The home computer version stopped working, cwith a popup window stating my license is not valid and the Host ID does not match. I contacted PTC licensing and they emailed that the home use privalege expires after 1 yr. I see nowhere in the EULA stating the home use privalage expires in one year. Part of the justification for the MathCAD 15 upgrade was that I could have a home use copy that would work on my Windows 7 home PC. I'm disappointed that this policy was not clearly stated after talking to a PTC sales person multiple times concerning the upgrade and gloabal maintenance costs/policies.

[bedmonds]

Tye, the Home Use license is actually a maintenance entitlement and is linked directly to the maintenance contract - as long as maintenance is active, the Home Use license can be re-generated. The license is initially set to expire on the same day as the maintenance contract expiration, but when maintenance is renewed the Home Use license can be renewed as well. The specific Home Use policy for Mathcad can be found here: http://www.ptc.com/support/maintenance/maintenance_support_policies.htm.

[dBoggs]

I also am disturbed to hear this. I assumed that when I read "2nd license available for home computer" this meant that the licensing was the same as MC14 (and previous), for which I have been using on my work and home computers for years. I can't help but think that PTC intentionally buried this "detail" in the "fine print" to lure more people into upgrading. I NEED TO USE IT ON BOTH. If this is really true, then I'm sorry I upgraded, for I will get more use out of 14.

Why, when you (and other software companies) come out with a new version to promote, do you only mention the new snazzy features, and say nothing about the old features that are now gone?

[MikeArmstrong]

Just for my own interest. I assume that you didn't need a maintenance license to have Mathcad 14 on both your work and home computer?

Mike

[bedmonds]

The End User License Agreement for Mathcad 14.0 does restrict the Single User license to a single machine:

(viii) Mathcad Single-User License Use: Customer may install and use one copy of the Licensed Software on a single computer, device, workstation, terminal, or other digital electronic or analog device.

After PTC acquired Mathsoft, the Home Use license became a Maintenance entitlement and is governed by the policies set forth at

http://www.ptc.com/support/maintenance/maintenance_support_policies.htm.

[dBoggs]

OK, maybe I missed the fine print, but for whatever reason I do enjoy two licenses for M14--one work, one home--and I have not had tech support until just now.

I really think that this policy is not well represented. When I upgraded I really thought that I was buying two licenses--Not one real license and one half-assed pretend license that would be expiring soon. That "fact" is well hidden from new and upgrading users. It really shouldn't be called a second license at all, but rather a "time-limed special permission" or something like that.

Will my first "real" license be expiring too, unless I continue to renew my tech support?

[MikeArmstrong]

I really think that this policy is not well represented. When I upgraded I really thought that I was buying two licenses--Not one real license and one half-assed pretend license that would be expiring soon. That "fact" is well hidden from new and upgrading users. It really shouldn't be called a second license at all, but rather a "time-limed special permission" or something like that.

Will my first "real" license be expiring too, unless I continue to renew my tech support?

Now now.......

If you didn't read all the small print....

Mike

[bedmonds]

Daryl, your main license is perpetual and will not expire. Your feedback on the Home Use license is appreciated, we are reviewing our current Maintenance messaging and will take this into consideration.

Brent

[dBoggs]

Thanks Brent. I appreciate the listening no matter what the result.

[MikeArmstrong]

Cheers for the clarification Brent.

Mike