Licensing model "free" version on premise and support

[nobody]

Excuse me, if this question has been answered already, but, It did not find a matching answer on the website and in the forums:
Customer downloads the 16Calls standard version, will be installed on premise.
After one year an automatic downgrade to a 4call version happens, But the pbx itself runs until the end of the world with the features of the Standard version but 4 concurrent calls, and no upgrades/updates.
Or:
After the first year the customer buys the Euro Maintenance 104/year option in addition, the automatic downgrade to a 4Calls version happens, But the pbx itself runs until the end of the world with the features of the Standard version but 4 concurrent calls, plus all upgrades/updates as long as the 104E/Year is payed.

Correct?

 

[florink]

As far as I am aware, yes that is correct. Maintenance also gives you the ability to keep using the 3CX smartphone clients.

 

[nobody]

Thank you! You mean: even If I have the standard features, I cannot use iphone, windows,android clients without the Maintenance? That would be a strong argument for paying the Maintenance fee.

 

[florink]

Yes you need active maintenance to use those. Btw for €188/year you can get the 4SC PRO which includes maintenance. €15 per month is bargain for such a system! Lately I've been able to upgrade many of my customers to PRO + I recommend it by default instead of the Standard. The difference in price is worth the few extra bucks. Not every case is the same of course, you might not be needing the extra features.

 

[nobody]

But, why should the smartphone apps or windows client should stop working after the 1 year period unless 3cx deletes the fqdn?

 

[cobaltit]

That's an excellent question for 3CX. Probably because free doesn't make them money.

 

[nobody]

Thats why I started this thread. Exact information what "free" means ist not availible. Also, under the pricing table of the perpetual License the "free" standard license does not even show up. Instead there is "N/A", which could mean it does not exist.
But if it exists, the use of the smartphone clients should theoretically be included since it is a standard license, and this includes the smartphone access.
I dont expect upgrades (I personally even hate upgrades), but if it once worked and unless I use incompatible phone hardware or OS it should be possible to use it ad infinitum (unless 3cx deletes the dns entry, in case customer refuses to pay the maintenence charges).

 

[N_G]

smartphone apps, dns, security certificates and mail are tied to having active maintenance. No it is not possible to get updates free of charges to smartphone apps ad inifinitum - unless you stick to the free version of 3CX where updates are included for free.

 

[nobody]

Nick,
Thank you, but I am still a little confused:
you say (how this is done technically is of no interest here):
Wether someone uses the free, pro, enterprise version everything installed ON PREMISES with own fqdn, own certificates, the smartphone access is only possible as long as one pays the maintenance - correct?

However, the free (4 Sim Calls) on premise version includes free upgrades even without paying for the maintenance - but no smartphone access - correct?

Sorry for asking again for a detailed answer regarding the free version, I myself would not recommend the free version, but was asked by my customer.

 

[N_G]

For us there is no difference between on premise or cloud.

If you have the PRO version you can use your own cert and email. In that case only the apps you can not use if you don't have maintenance. Annual licenses do not require maintenance btw.

4 and soon 8 Standard will be free - including maintenance.

If you do not plan to update the software on a regular basis I dont think 3CX is the right solution for the customer

 

[nobody]

Sorry again, but I have to reply with a new question:
On the comparison page it says:
https://www.3cx.com/ordering/pricing/
Standard, Pro, Enterprise: all of these have the same checkmarks in the mobility section.
If one buys a permanent license of whatever kind he can expect that his smartphone works even without buying Maintenance - no word about "no maintenance, no smartphone client".
false? Or is the webpage incorrect?

btw. I like updates if they fix problems, I also like upgrades if I or the customer can do it when it fits.
A real example of what I did not like:
The 3cx MacOSX client constantly asked at startup to install a new version, when I grant the installation it would install a new version which will not work on the OS currently installed on the machine. Result: no working softphone, no way to go back.
The first thing which is wrong that there is no option for the user to suppress the upgrade notification, the second wrong is, the installer does not check if the new version is compatible with the running OS, the third wrong is, the program at the very beginning of the process does not check if a possible upgrade will work or not. If not then any upgrade notification should be suppressed.