It is difficult to adapt to change. From a minor dietary adjustment to a complete career change, you always have to leave your comfort zone, which is not easy, even when we know that the change would be beneficial to us in the long term.
The same applies in the world of software, where an increasing number of companies are replacing one-time product license sales with cloud subscriptions. While some customers would probably still prefer buying boxes and storing installation CDs, the benefits that the subscription model brings to users are clear and continue to drive change forward. Gartner predicts that 80% of all software developers will offer some form of subscription next year.
That is why we decided to show you what the real differences are between the traditional model of one-time licenses (called perpetual licenses) and the subscription model, and what benefits each of them provides, so that you know which one to choose when ordering, for example, Acronis Backup.
Characteristics of a perpetual license
Perpetual licenses began to be sold at a time when products were sold simply as one-time purchases. Hardware used to be expensive and was rarely upgraded, so there was no reason to carry out regular software updates either.
Since this is a one-time purchase for unrestricted use of the software, perpetual licenses usually require a significantly higher initial investment. The good news is that software purchased this way can be classified as a capital expense, CAPEX, and its depreciation can be recorded in accounting.
The name “perpetual license” itself suggests another disadvantage – “perpetual” means that you will use the software over the long term; you have committed to it by spending a substantial amount of money. This may not have been problematic in the past, but today, in the context of the pace of development in the IT sector, ever-growing data volumes, and evolving online threats, it may be a solution lacking the flexibility necessary for business success.
The pace of development also affects the software itself, and if you want to receive, for example, all updates and support for Acronis Backup free of charge, you must have not only a perpetual license but also a valid maintenance plan, sold separately. Without it, and therefore without the latest updates, the software may not provide adequate protection against modern threats.
A subscription is more affordable
The advent of the internet and the cloud has made it possible for solutions such as Acronis Backup to be offered as a subscription. And in exchange for the user giving up “ownership” of the software, a subscription provides a number of compelling benefits.
First, it clearly requires a lower initial investment than perpetual licenses. A subscription also includes technical support and updates, so you do not have to pay for an additional maintenance plan.
Because subscriptions are paid in small amounts on a regular basis (renewals are for 1, 2, or 3 years), the company also has a much greater degree of control over its spending and greater management flexibility. You can expand your storage at any time or reduce it again as needed.
Finally, a regular subscription allows you to classify expenses as operating expenses, OPEX, giving you more predictable expenses and a clearer budget.
Always up-to-date cyber protection
The possibility of saving money is undoubtedly attractive, but an even more important advantage of the subscription model, not only from a security perspective, is that it provides always up-to-date and therefore the safest possible software, vigilantly protecting data, applications, and entire systems.
When you consider how quickly online threats have evolved in recent years – new malware strains every month, botnets controlling previously unimaginable computing power – it is easier to understand that continuously evolving software is better suited to protecting against the latest threats than a one-time product. With an Acronis Backup subscription, for example, you would be protected against cryptojacking, i.e., malware involving the covert mining of cryptocurrencies on your devices, from the relevant update of Acronis Active Protection, shortly after the threat was discovered.
Features available only to subscribers
Some features are available only when purchasing Acronis software in the form of a subscription. These include:
- Acronis Backup Service, providing advanced data security. With Acronis Management Server running in Acronis Cloud, you can ensure a high level of data availability without investing in hardware.
- Acronis Disastery Recovery , performing automatic failover of mission-critical applications to Acronis Cloud. This ensures uptime and immediate availability of key data, thereby maximizing company productivity.
- Cloud-to-cloud backup for Office 365 and G Suite, enabling automatic protection for Microsoft Exchange Online, OneDrive for Business, and SharePoint Online.
In conclusion
Ultimately, the individual needs and preferences of your company matter most. If you need to own the software and have sufficient budget for purchasing licenses and maintenance, or if you do not need the most up-to-date protection, you can certainly continue using perpetual licenses.
However, even after this modest summary of the advantages of the subscription model, it should be clear that the subscription option can offer companies more flexibility, better protection, including cloud features, and costs less.
Subscribe to Acronis Backup today.
Source: https://www.acronis.cz/predplatne-vs-trvala-licence/
Article author: ZEBR.ai editorial team
