Lifetime license business model

With GFI (formerly Sunbelt Software) promoting their PC-Lifetime VIPRE product, I thought it would be interesting to share points of view regarding this type of licensing model.

What are your thoughts? What are the cons and the pros in your opinion? Have you acquired a lifetime license? If so, for which product/service? How's been your experience? Do you think Security Software industry would be moving to this type of business model considering the current world-wide financial struggle?

I personally own 2 lifetime licenses of MBAM and one for Shadow Defender. Regarding MBAM I have no complaints whatsoever. But as far as SD goes... well, you know the story.

Thank you all for stopping by.

 

In the long run, my opinion is they are not sustainable by anyone who doesn't have either extra projects bringing in income or some very good advertisers/business partners on-board. We've seen plenty of them die out, we'll see plenty more. The entire industry moving to this model would result in disaster left and right, IMHO.

 

I think it is a great deal on something inexpensive like MBAM or SAS, or even Twister. Not sure I would pay $100 for one though, especially if it is linked to the "life of a PC", rather than my life or the life of the company.

 

I think there is a huge difference between companies that provide:
- Only lifetime license
- Mixed lifetime and subscription licenses
- Only short term subscriptions

GFI at the moment offers a mixed thing. So I can only explain it as an attempt to put some cash in the company and nothing more.

I usually compare the price of a lifetime license with the cost of 2 years subscription of other products. If the lifetime license is still cheaper then I consider buying it ( if I like and need the software the moment of the offer ).

 

The life of the PC is often longer than the life of the company .

 

agree with hammer

 

I would imagine the companies that offer lifetime licenses are typically those start up companies that need as much cash flow as possible up front. I think the majority of these companies will not be in existence within a few years- either by going under or by getting acquired by a larger company. A good portion of these newer companies have some new technology they develop and thus become attractive to larger companies. The larger company can either sink a lot of money into research/development or just purchase a new company that already has a solid handle on this technology.

Then when the large company acquires the smaller one there will usually be some sort of notice that the lifetime licenses have been converted to 2, or so, year licenses. Sometimes the lifetime licenses are still good but I don't think that is the normal case.

Either way, whether a small company offering a lifetime license is acquired by a larger one or if the small company goes under, the actual length of the license is usually just a couple years.

Then there is the situation like Firetrust where the product for lifetime license is no longer developed and a "new" product has taken its place which now has an annual subscription fee, although essentially a very similar product as the one it replaced.

Then there's companies like Agnitum which seem to be the exception, not the rule.

How is GFI treating the lifetime licenses anyway?

 

@acr1965
Here's the link for the press release:
-http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Press/Releases/?id=379 -

Now, in case you don't wanna read the whole thing, these are the core paragraphs:

Disclaimer: All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. To the best of our knowledge, all details were correct at the time of publishing; this information is subject to change without notice.
Copyright © 1996-2010 GFI Software, formerly Sunbelt Software, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

So program version updates are include as well?

 

yeap... until the computer dies for good. or you have to re-build it...

 

ok thanks