Computer Software for Steel Professionals
Structural Material Manager Software Licensing Models
Introduction: E.J.E. Industries offers two distinctly different licensing options for the Structural Material Manager software system. Both "seat-licensing" and "concurrent user licensing" are supported.
If you have any questions concerning Structural Material Manager's licensing models or would like some help in deciding which is best for your company, please e-mail us at Support@ejeindustries.com. We'll be glad to help!
Seat Licensing: The Structural Material Manager software system typically uses the seat licensing model of providing access to the software. To add another user, you purchase another software security key to attach to that user’s local PC, even if the software itself resides on the server. Once the key is installed on the local PC, the new user will be able to access Structural Material Manager.
Under the seat licensing model, the server has no security key, but each workstation does. Full-size USB keys are supplied for desktop PCs, and smaller USB keys are provided for laptop use. Both key types are shown in this illustration of a network configured to run Structural Material Manager in the seat licensing model:
Concurrent User Licensing: The concurrent user licensing model is also supported by Structural Material Manager. With this system, a single software security key providing multiple user licenses is attached to the server rather than the local PCs. If your firm has purchased 10 concurrent user licenses, for example, Structural Material Manager will be available to up as many as 10 users at any one time by attaching a 10-user network key to the server.
Some people say that concurrent user licensing provides a floating license, and this is certainly an intuitive way to think of this model.
Individual PCs need no security keys under the concurrent user licensing model. Only a single, full-size USB security key is provided, and it is connected to the server. This is shown in this illustration of a network set up to run Structural Material Manager via concurrent user licensing:
Advantages of Each Licensing Model: A small company without a network server - or perhaps with a server but lacking professional I.T. help - benefits from traditional seat licensing. The "one security key per user" concept is simple to understand and can be easily implemented by non-technical personnel.
For a large organization with an I.T. staff, concurrent user licensing is more appropriate than seat licensing. It has the advantage of easier administration in such an organization since multiple keys are not spread out on local PCs throughout the company. This centralized security key location also reduces the chance of key theft. Remote users working from home or satellite offices do not need to have local security keys; as long as their PCs are connected to the corporate network via VPN (Virtual Private Networking), the Structural Material Manager security key will be automatically detected by the remote machine. Perhaps most importantly, this licensing method has lower potential costs resulting from the fact that if your organization needs only perhaps 10 concurrent users at any one time out of a pool of 15 possible users, you only need to purchase a 10-user key.
Mixing the Licensing Models: It is easy to mix seat licensing with concurrent user licensing within the same company. This is because every Structural Material Manager software system that has the concurrent user licensing option enabled automatically detects not only network keys but standalone ones as well. Structural Material Manager looks first for a security key on the local PC. Only if a local unit is not detected does the software then check for a key on the server.
As an example of a scenario in which a mixed-license scheme makes sense, consider a company in which 17 users sometimes need access to the Structural Material Manager software, but usually not more than 10 to 12 of them need to use the system at once. Further suppose that a couple of these Structural Material Manager users have laptop PCs that are connected to the network when in the office, but their laptops are off the network when taken into the field (perhaps for traveling sales work, off-site estimating, etc.). This hypothetical organization would do well to install a 10-license security key on the server, and give standalone security keys to each of the two laptop users.
Security key Pricing and Availability: Each license you add to your Structural Material Manager software system is $995.00. The price is the same whether you purchase a seat license or a concurrent license, but keep in mind that the concurrent-use variety represents a better value.
Single-user security keys based on the seat license model are in stock at all times; they are always available for immediate shipment. Concurrent-use security keys are specially ordered for the license count (1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 25 or 50 licenses) that you choose, and delivery of such units takes no more than 14 days from the time you place the order.
Upgrading Standalone keys to Network keys: Many Structural Material Manager customers have one or more existing standalone security keys that are currently being used for seat licensing. Such units can be upgraded to concurrent-use licenses by trading them in at $395.00 each + shipping.
Consider an example of a customer with (2) standalone keys who wants to upgrade those keys to concurrent-use and also add a third user-license at the same time. The existing standalone keys could be upgraded at $395.00 each, and the new license would be purchased at $995.00. The total investment would thus be $1,785.00 + shipping. E.J.E. Industries would ship the customer a 3-user network key, and the customer would return the original (2) standalone keys after the new 3-user key was up and running. The result: a concurrent-use Structural Material Manager system that can be shared by a pool of users - perhaps 4..7 of them - a few at a time.
As another example, suppose a customer has (3) existing standalone keys and wishes to convert to a 3-user concurrent user licensing system. No additional licenses are being added in this example. All (3) existing standalone keys could be upgraded at 395.00 each for a total investment of $1,185.00 + shipping. Just as in the previous example, E.J.E. Industries would provide a 3-user network key to be shared by a pool of users a few at a time, and the standalone keys would later be returned.
Adding Licenses to Existing Network Keys: Each network key is factory-programmed with a set limit of 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 25, or 50 licenses. Those hardware limits cannot be changed. You do not, however, have to purchase the same number of licenses to exactly match one of those denominations. That is because the Structural Material Manager software itself can determine how many licenses each customer owns. E.J.E. Industries supplies a network key having a limit greater than or equal to your purchased license count.
An example is in order. Suppose you invest in (4) network licenses. You will receive a 5-user key since that is the smallest denomination that can provide at least (4) users. You pay only for the (4) licenses actually required, and Structural Material Manager automatically limits the 5-user key to 4-user access. If your needs later grow so that (5) people now need simultaneous access to Structural Material Manager - say out of a pool of perhaps 7..10 potential users - simply purchase another user license at $995.00. No new key is needed; the existing 5-user key remains on your server, and a Structural Material Manager software update will be provided to allow that key to provide its full 5-user limit.
Also consider the case in which you add a user, and your existing key cannot accommodate the increase. That requires you to trade in the existing network key for the next higher denomination. E.J.E. Industries provides 100% trade-in credit for existing network keys; whereas standalone keys are converted to network licenses at $395.00 each, there is absolutely no charge to transfer existing network licenses to higher-count keys. You purchase only the extra licenses needed even though a new key needs supplied. For instance, a 3-user network key can be upgraded to the next higher denomination - a 5-user key - by purchasing the 4th license at $995.00. E.J.E. Industries would ship a 5-user key as a quite literally a plug-and-play replacement for the 3-user key which would later be shipped back, and your software could access (4) of the new key’s (5) maximum licenses.