I am part of a structural engineering consulting firm that uses several structural analysis software(s) from RAM/Bentley. We have been satisfied with the software up until around a month ago when the comically absurd pricing scheme was explained upon us.
The "Quarterly Hour Usage" billing concept is … so illogical that it defies the descriptive powers of my vocabulary. If the price of their software needs to increase to meet their business goals, then Bentley should raise their prices. I can review the increased costs, compare it to the benefit of having/using the software, and then make annual budgeting decisions.
For those who are not familiar with the 'hourly usage' concept, here is how it works: if one engineer uses the software from 9am until 10.15am, and then a separate engineer, on a different computer uses the same software beginning at10.30 am, then that counts as the use of 2 licenses. In reality, the software usage has not exceeded the license limit; however, according to Bentley, it has… it has been used twice within the same arbitrary hour. (consider an analogy of renting ONE bicycle …you ride it for part of an hour, and then your spouse rides the same bike for the remainder of the "same" hour … you return the bike, and are charged for TWO bicycles …b/c 2 people rode the same bike …within the same hour!?!?!? )
I am lost as to why Bentley would do this. It appears to be irritating several customers. So far as I understand, Bentley offers no method to actively limit (real-time) the usage within each hour.
I've had several conversations with 3 different Bentley people so far. Each has mildly expressed sympathy towards my frustrations, yet each has been unable to offer any solution. They have each noted that I am not the only firm who is disappointed with this unique billing concept, and suggested I write to their forum, so that "management" can see the complaints of their customers.
Reluctantly, I have done so. Not only am I frustrated, now I am irritated: not only is the burden of monitoring the usage of their software forces on me, now explaining why is also my responsibility… and I am the customer !?