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Software Licenses

From Nodelock to Floating, choose the right license for your business

Perpetual and Term licensing models

At ASTER, we understand that our customers and users have diverse requirements, which is why we offer different licensing options to cater to their specific needs. With us, you have the flexibility to choose from both perpetual and term licensing models, depending on what works best for you.

  • Perpetual Licenses: Our perpetual licensing model grants you the right to use the software without any time limitations. You own the software indefinitely. Additionally, we offer maintenance contracts that provide you with access to software updates, upgrades and technical support
  • Term Licenses: If you prefer a more flexible approach, ASTER offers a term licensing model that allows you to subscribe for a period of 3 years, with the added advantage of terminating the subscription each year no later than 60 days prior to the anniversary. Our subscription plan includes technical support, software updates and upgrades, throughout the subscription period

Which is right for you, Perpetual or Term licenses?

In many cases, funding for engineering software, such as ASTER’s, is allocated from capital expenditure (capex) budgets. Perpetual licensing with maintenance aligns well with this financial approach, offering the lowest total cost of ownership over time and return on investment.

Term licenses by contrast, offer a considerably lower upfront initial investment that is allocated from operating expenditure (opex) budgets. By choosing the term license subscription, you have the freedom to evaluate the software and determine if it meets your specific requirements, before making a long-term commitment.

Nodelock or Floating license ?

  •  Nodelock license: Nodelock licenses are designed for individual users. Once installed on the workstation, you can use the software without the need to be connected online. If needed, the license can be transferred from one workstation to another. Nodelock licenses are also upgradable to floating licenses. There is, however, a fee associated with this upgrade and the cost varies based on the provision.
  •  Floating license: With floating licenses, the software can be installed on multiple workstations, the number of concurrent users allowed to access the software is limited by the number of available licenses. Our software platform employs a reliable and dependable client/server distributed licensing method. In this approach, a license server is installed on your network (on-premise), which holds all your entitlements and grants access to the software.

Four provisions regulate and restrict the “floating” nature:

  1. GWAN: Clients accessing the license server can be located anywhere in the world, for example, licenses installed and managed on a server in the United States may be accessed by users of the same company in the Americas, Asia Pacific, Greater China, Europe and Japan
  2. CWAN: Clients accessing the license server must be located in the same continent, for example, licenses installed and managed on a server in the United States may be accessed by users of the same company in Brazil and Mexico
  3. NWAN: Clients accessing the license server must be located in the same country, for example, licenses installed and managed on a server in New York may be accessed by users of the same company in Denver and San Francisco
  4. LAN: Clients accessing the license server must be located in the same facility, or a collection of facilities within 1 mile