License Types Explained
We offer different types of Simplebim licenses for enabling different use cases and commercial scenarios. The following explanations will help you choose the license that is best for you.
Users and Activation
From the viewpoint of users and activation we have Network and Single User licenses and for academic use we also have Single Computer licenses.
Network licenses (sometimes also called floating or concurrent licenses) are best when you have many potential Simplebim users and it is not critical that each user can always use Simplebim. The network license can be activated on an unlimited number of user/computer combinations, but it can be used at the same time by only as many users as you have licenses. When Simplebim is started it checks if there are any licenses available. If there are, it activates one license for the user/computer combination and releases the activation when you close Simplebim. If there are no licenses available you will get a message about this and Simplebim will not start. You need to be connected to the internet every time you start or close Simplebim. If you are not connected you will not be able to start Simplebim. If you are not connected at close, the license will not be released for use by other users.
Example: You have a network license key with 2 licenses. This license key is used by users A, B and C.
- Both licenses are free
- User A starts Simplebim
- User B starts Simplebim
- User C starts Simplebim, but it does not start because both licenses are in use. User C gets a message telling that all licenses are currently in use and can view an online report to see who is currently using the licenses.
- User A closes Simplebim
- User C starts Simplebim, and it starts now because the license used by A was released and is available for other users.
Single user licenses are the best choice when you are the only Simplebim user in your organization or you have a few dedicated Simplebim users who use Simplebim for tasks that are critical for your process. With a Single User license you need to be connected to the internet only when you activate or release the license. When a Single User license is activated on a computer it is tied to the user and computer combination. This means that it can after the activation be used by the same user on the same computer. The same user can activate the license another time on a different computer used by that same user, for example office and home or desktop and laptop. Once the Single User license is activated on a user/computer combination it will always work for that combination until it expires or is released by you. Once the license is released it can be activated again on another user/computer combination. The most typical scenario is installing Simplebim on a new computer. Another scenario for releasing the license is when the Simplebim user in your organization changes permanently or for an extended period of time. Please
Example: You have a single user license key with one license
- User A activates Simplebim using the license key
- User A gets a new computer
- User A starts Simplebim on the old computer and releases the license from the About dialog
- User A activates Simplebim on the new computer using the license key
- User A moves to a new position or leaves the company
- User A releases the license from the Simplebim About dialog
- User B activates Simplebim using the license key
- When user C also needs to use Simplebim and you either buy a second single user license or upgrade your license to a network license.
Single computer licenses are only available for academic use. When you activate Simplebim with a Single Computer license, Simplebim can be used by any user on that computer. This makes Single Computer licenses the ideal solution for classrooms and computer labs.
Right to use and upgrades
From the viewpoint of right to use and upgrades we have Rental, Perpetual and Time Limited licenses.
Rental licenses can be used for the duration of the rental period. When the rental period ends you can no longer use Simplebim, but during the rental period you can always use the latest available version. The rental is renewed automatically unless you explicitly cancel it.
Example
You buy a rental license on 11.11.2019 and the initial rental period is until 11.11.2020. A new major version of Simplebim is released between 11.11.2019 and 11.11.2020, and you have the right to upgrade to this latest version. You don’t cancel the rental agreement and the rental in renewed and invoiced automatically on 11.11.2020. You decide to cancel the rental agreement on 1.7.2020. You have the right to use the latest version of Simplebim until the rental period ends on 11.11.2021, but after this date you can no longer use Simplebim with this license.
Perpetual licenses can be used without time limitation, but they are for the major version of Simplebim that was available when you obtained the license. Perpetual licenses come with a 12 month subscription, which means that during the first 12 months you can update to the latest major version of Simplebim. The subscription is renewed automatically unless you explicitly cancel it.
Example
You buy a perpetual license of Simplebim 8 on 11.11.2019. The license includes 12 months of maintenance. A new major version of Simplebim is released between 11.11.2019 and 11.11.2020, and you have the right to upgrade to this latest major version. You don’t cancel the subscription and the subscription in renewed and invoiced automatically on 11.11.2020. You decide to cancel the subscription on 1.7.2020. You have the right to upgrade to the latest version of Simplebim until the subscription ends on 11.11.2021. After this date you can continue using the major version of Simplebim that was available on 11.11.2021, but you no longer have the right to upgrade to the next major version when it becomes available.
Most academic licenses and all NFR (not for resale) licenses are time limited licenses. We may also issue time limited licenses when the trial period needs to be extended. Time limited licenses have an expiry date and they stop working after the expiry date.
Example
You get a time limited academic student license for you thesis work that end on 29.2.2020. You can use the license normally until this date, but after this date you can no longer use Simplebim with this license.