Over the past years we have witnessed massive changes in the software industry. More an more companies are moving to Cloud Computing and customers are taken benefits from the cloud infrastructure advantages like cost saving, security, flexibility, mobility and many more.
Time has come for Ra Workshop to adopt and adapt the new technologies. We are proud to announce the release of RA Cloud Platform, the first step towards moving Ra Workshop into cloud. RA Cloud is your personal space, where you can manage all your licenses, users, access rights, orders, and payments.
RA Cloud is the foundation for a new set of products, we all know you have been waiting for.
Switching to a cloud computing architecture, made us to change the way we sell our products. The most striking shift is the move from lifetime licenses to subscription licenses. Starting with Ra Workshop 2022 all our products will be sold only as Software as a Service (SaaS). The minimum subscription is 1 year long and once the subscription ends, the software will stop working.
How this will affect you?
Ra Workshop 3.6 will be discontinued once Ra Workshop 2022 is released. This means that we will not release any new update for the 3.6 version by 31st December 2022 and we will stop developing databases and offer support on the 3.6 version by 31st December 2023.
Am I going to lose my lifetime licenses I purchased previously?
All Ra Workshop previous versions (3.6, 3.5, 3.4, 3.3, 3.2, 3.1 and 3.0) will continue to work as before. These are and will remain lifetime licenses.
What can I do?
Your company could be in one of the two scenarios: a company with a valid (active) software assurance plan or a company without a software assurance plan, most probably using an old Ra Workshop version. Below you can find answers and suggestions for both these scenarios.
My company HAS a valid software assurance plan. What are my options?
As long as your company has a valid software assurance plan, you are entitled to upgrade to the new version Ra Workshop 2022. The only decision you have to make is if you will move to subscription licenses or you will keep your current lifetime licenses.
Option H.A – I would like to move to subscription licenses. What are my benefits?
Your software assurance contract will be converted into a subscription contract. Your current lifetime licenses will be converted into subscription licenses. You support hours will be transferred, too.
The cost of our subscription contract is going to be same as the cost of the software assurance contract and it will be locked for the next 3 years, regardless of the variations in our price structure. You will end up with a minimum 33% discount for the next 3 years.
Option H.B – I don’t want to move to subscription licenses. What will happen?
You can upgrade to Ra Workshop 2022 anytime you want. You will continue to receive updates of the application as long your contract is active. Once the software assurance expires, you will not be able to renew it and you will be in one of the same scenarios as any company without a valid support contract (see below).
My company HAS NOT a valid software assurance plan. What are my options?
We would be more than happy to have you back on the team, upgrading you to the new version of Ra Workshop, but you still have two options.
Option HN.A – I would like to move to subscription licenses. What are by benefits?
The main advantage is you will get to use a far better product, benefiting of all the new features included into Ra Workshop 2022. A new subscription contract will be created. Your current lifetime licenses will be converted into subscription licenses.
The cost of our subscription contract is going to be same as the cost of joining a new assurance contract, after a discontinuity period and it will be locked for the next 3 years, regardless of the variations in our price structure. You will end up with a minimum 25% discount for the next 3 years.
Option HN.B – I don’t want to move to subscription licenses. What will happen?
No action is required. You can continue to use your software as before. Just keep in mind that you won’t be able to buy new lifetime licenses (regardless of which older version you have) and the technical support for Ra Workshop 3.6 will end by 31st December 2023. Downgrading a license will be done also based on subscription.
I have read this information, but I still have questions. Who should I contact?
Our sales department is ready to answer all your questions. Feel free to contact us via email at sales@raworkshop.com or by phone at: +40 730 562.483 or +40 728 041 269
The Ra Workshop team would like to thank you for all these years you trusted us and our products. Technology has moved forward and we strongly believe we have to keep up with it. We would be more than happy to have you on this new trip, as we can guarantee it is going to be an awesome experience.