PTC Windchill PDMLink licensing model on a network

[pthawani]

Hi,

I needed clarity on the licensing model for Windchill PDMLink. Especially on a network. Please help out.

[TomU]

PTC's license terms for Windchill are available here: http://support.ptc.com/support/legal-agreements/windchill-agreements.htm

Basically, Windchill is a licensed per named (registered) user. Every unique user, regardless of how infrequently they use the system, is required to have their own dedicated license. (The same user logging on multiple times in different locations only requires one license.) You can minimize the cost some by purchasing licenses appropriate to the user - heavy users, light users, and view/print only users.

[LSivertsen]

Remember that the difference on heavy/light is not solely in the use of the product, but on where in the organization the user is placed.

If in R&D equal Heavy. If outside and not not working with Design equal Light.

[TomU]

My understand, and it may not be correct, is that a heavy user is anyone making changes via CAD and a light user is anyone only making changes via the Windchill web interface (no CAD).

View/Print only licenses are only for Creo View viewing and printing. No changing stuff in Windchill or use of CAD.

[TomU]

Here is what PTC has to say: (CS45002)

By the way, if you purchase a CAD license + Windchill, it comes with a Windchill heavy user license. If you purchase a Creo View license + Windchill, it comes with a Windchill light user license.

[LSivertsen]

The License agreement is placed here: http://support.ptc.com/support/customer_agreements/basis_files/feb-14/EN-Nov-2014.pdf

PTC SOFTWARE PRODUCTS

LICENSING BASIS

Notice (11) on page 13.

"Heavy/Light/External User/View & Print (not applicable to Windchill Flex PLM or MPMLink View and Print)

Windchill "Light User" licenses may only be assigned to Registered Users who primarily work within the following organizations or functional areas within the Customer’s organization ("Light Users"): manufacturing, production; purchasing; finance; quality; sales; service and support; and marketing. However, any Registered User who has substantial duties within the following areas shall not be considered a Light User: product engineering; application engineering; product management; Windchill system administration; program office; technical publications and procurement engineering. Light User licenses may not be assigned (or reassigned) to persons who are not Light Users unless and until the Customer pays the applicable upgrade fee(s) for software and Support Services. The Customer must own at least one Heavy User license for every two Light User licenses Customer owns. "

The document was difficult for me to read, but very important to understand when you are negotiating with PTC.

[TomU]

This is a great document and very enlightening. Thanks for sharing.

Here's my attempt to visualize this:

Based on my reading of the document, any user in one of the green functional areas could use a "View/Print" license instead of a "Light User" license as long as they meet the requirements of a "View/Print" user in the Activity chart above.

There is also the issue of ratios. The light user to heavy user ratio may not exceed 2:1. I haven't found anything yet about a View/Print ratio.

[Marco_Tosin]

Our sales representative, many times during the years, told us that Light User License cannot exceed 1/3 (33%) of Windchill total licenses (Heavy + Light)

[TomU]

You should ask him to show you the legal document that says so. I don't doubt it's out there, but it'd be nice to actually read it.

[LSivertsen]

The ration is the other way around. Se the quote from earlier:

"The Customer must own at least one Heavy User license for every two Light User licenses Customer owns"

The document stating this is the legal document that the sales person should be showing you.

[TomU]

Sorry Marco, I misread your reply. I was thinking View/Print licenses, not light licenses. Lisbeth is correct. The legal document clearly states that you can have twice as many light user licenses as heavy licenses.

[Marco_Tosin]

Don't worry Tom.

It's friday for all of us.

Have a nice week-end.

[ChrisPLM]

Hi TomUminn 

great table to try to simplify something PTC made very complicated over time.

When they had only one product, I can understand, now they have tens of products with many different flavours.

Even Arbortext is a nightmare to understand what you may or not do etc...

It is very disappointing that they limit passive consumer. I have uncovered something else regarding Print&View

see here

MPMLink Print&View licences

Other competitors understood it. Autodesk, when you by Inventor or their PLM360 you get everything. I understand that you may see waste in this where you have  functionalities you do not use and never will but that is always the case. Who can say he is using 90% of Excel capabilities ?

Even smaller company like BBConsult who develop TPV 2000 +  (which I will see as a light PLM system but it is very capable as OOTB it has workflow, eBOM/mBOM conversion, item management, reporting, process plan management, integration to PDM and ERP). they only one one type of licence. So a "reader" can read everything depending, of course of his access permissions.

If I now need to include MPMLink Print&View licences to all my designers, chief engineers, team leader, quality etc... so they can view, approve process plan this will kill my ROI calculation. Asking them to look at it from ERP is defeating the object of having integrated PLM.

Should we create an idea to ask PTC to simplify the way they sell and licence their products ?

What do you think Hugo Hermans, TomUminn   Stephen Vinyard  Mike Lockwood Gregory PERASSO   avillanueva

Cheers

[TomU]

Should we create an idea to ask PTC to simplify the way they sell and licence their products ?

It won't make any difference.  I'm not being cynical, I'm simply being a realist.  The only way the licensing model is getting simplified is if PTC can extract more money in the process.  They're not a charity and there is no financial incentive for them to simplify the licensing structure and thereby "give" the users more functionality with less license types.

[ChrisPLM]

Hi

here is the one I got given which I guess is the latest version

http://support.ptc.com/support/legal-agreements/pdf/Licensing-Basis-Table-EN-201507.pdf