ArcGIS Pro License : Subscription license - will expire when maintenance stops

[MarkChilcott]

Hi Peoples,

After discussions with Esri Australia, it is our understanding ArcGIS Pro is only available as a subscription, cloud based license that will expire if you choose to stop paying maintenance.  This would appear to be a paradigm shift in the current permanent license model.

It is also striking there appears to be no Esri documentation spelling this out.

Were other people aware that ArcGIS Pro is a cloud based subscription license, that expires if you stop maintenance?

What do you think?

Additional notes:

ArcGIS Pro licensing:
http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis-pro/licensing

Cheers,

Mark

[GraemeBrowning]

I know it has been a growing discussion point amongst ArcGIS users at Brisbane geospatial events of late.

[MarkChilcott]

Hi Graeme,

Has the response been similar to this thread?

We have an esri Directions on Friday.  It will be interesting if esri address the issue up front, or if it comes up in discussion.

Cheers,

Mark

[GraemeBrowning]

Hi Mark

We have the same event in Brisbane on Friday too.  I'm yet to speak to an ArcGIS user who thinks switching people who purchased perpetual licensing for Esri's desktop GIS to licensing that can be revoked on non-payment of maintenance is reasonable.  Open source advocates just find the discussion amusing.

- Graeme

[MarkChilcott · Accepted solution]

Hi Peoples,

I have had some correspondence with the ArcGIS for Desktop team, and can let you know they appreciate the feedback, and are listening to what you are saying.

It was never esri's intention for users to lose access to their work due to whatever reason they may have for not being able to continue with maintenance, and esri are seriously looking into ways in which this can be addressed in the future.

I would suggest once esri finalize the details, they will make a public announcement.

Thanks to all that read the thread, to the replies, and the professionalism of all.  We can, and do make a difference.

Cheers,

Mark

[mattwilkie]

Our Esri account manager has confirmed there is something in the works for Desktop-like licensing for ArcGIS Pro, with an expected availability of Q1 2016 with the 1.2 release.

"we plan to offer “role-based” term licensing for on-premises deployments in the future. ...We want to assure our user community that this [subscription licensing] is an alternative, not a replacement, to how we provide our software. ... we are working on a license enablement process that will allow customers to continue to use their ArcGIS Pro licenses. [in event of lapsed maintenance]

* Please note, however, that your Named User login credentials for ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS accounts will remain expired until you renew your ArcGIS for Desktop maintenance.

* If you want to use ArcGIS Pro with either ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS, you will need to renew your ArcGIS for Desktop maintenance.

"

So with this revised model it's only the online portions of ArcGIS Pro which will get turned off or become unavailable when the subscription lapses. That sounds fair.

I look forward to seeing the particulars before I rest easy though (the devils in the details and all that).

[GraemeBrowning]

I do not recall having yet seen the public announcement - can anyone provide a link to it?

[Robert_LeClair]

Graeme -

No public announcement per se but at the 2015 International Users Conference, ArcGIS Pro presenters in the Technical Workshops mentioned new licensing options for Pro 1.2 (scheduled for Q1 2016).

• Concurrent licensing - uses same/similar ArcGIS License Administrator as ArcMap.
• SIngle Use License - if you discontinue maintenance, a user may request a release locked standalone license for Pro.  Pro will not be eligible for updates.  It will open *.aprx's and be locked to that release where maintenance was discontinued.  One would still have access to ArcGIS Online/Portal services.

[mattwilkie]

Thank you for the affirmation Robert.

I look forward to the public statement that's hard to retract or back down from. (I also note that "may request" is not the same as "will be given". 😉    I'm not trying to cast aspersion or intimate that Esri won't follow through, I expect they will, I'm just not going to allow our organization to invest in Pro until the dust is settled and ambiguity erased.

[Robert_LeClair]

You're welcome Matt.  To clarify the "may request" - if a customer chooses not to renew their maintenance, no problem.  The customer would contact My Esri/Customer Care Portal and download the release locked Pro license to continue using Pro.

As this information has been public for many months, I highly doubt Esri would go back upon it.  Caveat - I do not work for the Esri Pro Dev Team and am an Esri ArcGIS Pro/Desktop/ArcSDE Instructor.  This is what I've been able to ascertain from conferences, discussions with the Pro Team, etc...  With regard to investing workflows in Pro, you can run parallel workflows in ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro concurrently.  If and/or when you choose to switch to ArcGIS Pro is up to you and your organization.  Hope this clarifies my comments.

[LukeWebb]

This is a topic of utmost importance!

Please can you announce this officially somewhere ESRI? Or show me where it has been as my google skills are obviously bad.

We are not in a position to begin using the latest software on live projects until we have reassurance that we will be able to continue to open our maps as you described here:

• SIngle Use License - if you discontinue maintenance, a user may request a release locked standalone license for Pro.  Pro will not be eligible for updates.  It will open *.aprx's and be locked to that release where maintenance was discontinued.  One would still have access to ArcGIS Online/Portal services.