Programme offers alternative upgrade for AutoCAD

Bentley Systems has launched its "You Deserve Better" upgrade programme and website for AutoCAD users facing forced retirement of their software by Autodesk.

Bentley Systems has launched its "You Deserve Better" upgrade programme and website for AutoCAD users facing forced retirement of their software by Autodesk.

The upgrade programme, in response to Bentley's survey of more than 2500 AutoCAD users, gives these users what they requested, plus a great deal more.

The program includes: MicroStation-based product functionality that meets or exceeds that of comparable AutoCAD offerings, including bonus features not found in AutoCAD products and a wider range of product and application choices; an open and universal solution compared to the AutoCAD offerings, including native support of DWG and DGN in all products, read and write support of DWG back to R11, and support of Adobe PDF; upgrade pricing that meets or beats the Autodesk retirement pricing, including free viewers for DWG and DGN, multiple price points, and an estimated savings of 25 to 36% or more for design teams upgrading from AutoCAD 2000/I; an ongoing company policy against retiring file formats or user licenses, in contrast to the regular retirement practices of Autodesk; and special services and compatible functionality designed to make the upgrade fast and easy.

Bentley Chief Marketing Officer, Tony Flynn, comments: "In our survey of AutoCAD users, we heard many requests - the loudest being 'we want an open solution'".

"Users need their CAD products to natively support DWG, DGN and PDF".

"And they need historical, non-retiring support of these formats".

"Clearly, an open solution would allow them to run their businesses without forced disruption and to engage in more projects".

Flynn adds, "Our 'You Deserve Better' programme offers these users exactly what they asked for - an open, universal solution".

"Moreover, we believe that it offers users a far better set of products and services, as well as better, user-oriented policies that make them more competitive and put them in control of their software costs".

The programme's product offerings are based on four Bentley products, in descending price.

MicroStation is the comprehensive 2D/3D design/engineering system that is the preferred choice of most US DOTs, plant EPC firms, and the world's top design firms.

It natively reads and writes DWG and DGN.

MicroStation PowerDraft is a midrange production drafting product, fully compatible with MicroStation.

It natively reads and writes DWG and DGN.

MicroStation Redline is a low-cost viewing, printing, and redlining product for DGN/DWG-based drawings, models or maps.

And Bentley View is a free viewing and printing product for DWG/DGN-based drawings, models or maps.

These products feature technology that meets or exceeds that found in AutoCAD offerings.

Bonus features, not found in AutoCAD products, include support of both DWG and DGN, creation of Adobe PDFs for all project deliverables, change management, integrated surface/mesh/solid modelling, and customisation for the drafting product.

Ironically, Benley reckons MicroStation supports the full history of DWG better than AutoCAD does.

It reads and writes more versions of DWG than any supported AutoCAD product - back to R11 and everything in between.

With the PDF feature, users can package and deliver an entire architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) project - including DWG and DGN drawings, specifications, and Microsoft Office files - into a single, interactive PDF document at the touch of a button.

Also in the bonus category, all of the above products and features are based on the single development platform of MicroStation, which allows users to maintain a single representation of their data and customisations.

Autodesk products are now split across three development platforms: AutoCAD, Revit, and Inventor.

This split forces organisations to maintain multiple representations of data and customisations if they own Autodesk products from different platforms - a move that Autodesk is encouraging for many.

To ensure that the programme upgrade is fast and easy, the "You Deserve Better" programme includes AutoCAD paradigms (such as key-ins and DWG workspaces) integrated into MicroStation products, special classroom and online training, as well as direct support from Bentley.

Even with the functionality, openness, and policy advantages, the programme's pricing allows AutoCAD-based organisations to upgrade for less than they would pay for the Autodesk forced retirement programme.

The price to upgrade from AutoCAD 2000/i to MicroStation V8 is exactly the same as the cost to move to AutoCAD 2005 - $1495.

The price to upgrade from AutoCAD 2000/i (or AutoCAD LT 2000/i) to MicroStation PowerDraft is $750, or 50% less.

The price to upgrade from AutoCAD LT 2000/i to MicroStation Redline is $100.

Also, each licence for the work office comes with a home-use licence at no extra charge for those who sign up for the Bentley Select programme.

Overall, a typical design organisation upgrading 10 designers using AutoCAD 2000/i would expect to save $9070 by moving to an equal mix of MicroStation and MicroStation PowerDraft, and equipping three users at home.

This represents a savings of 25 to 36% or more in the first-year cost of ownership.

Those including more MicroStation Redline or Bentley View in their mix would save far more.

Plus, organisations previously forced to self-maintain a series of retired AutoCAD products to support legacy DWG projects can now have one universal, fully supported product that reads and writes to all these projects.

This consolidation would significantly reduce software administration costs.

The programme will also offer a standard upgrade discount on all vertical products.

For example, this discount will apply to new licenses of Power products, which start at a list price of $1495.

Licences purchased for Bentley products are perpetual and are never subject to unilateral retirement.

Additionally, users of Bentley products can participate in Bentley Select, which allows users to upgrade their products any time they choose.

The programme also allows AutoCAD users the option to "rent" many of these products at a discount.

For MicroStation, a one-year period is priced at $840; a three-year period is $625 per year.

For MicroStation PowerDraft, the prices are $420 and $295.

At any time during this period, users can buy the product for the special programme price.

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