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Company that I work for is moving to "subscription licensing", which I don't want to support. Should I quit?

Time appropriate greetings everybody!

I hope this is the right "sub forum" for "offtopic" stuff like this.

I work for a company that develops and produces specialized electrical test equipment.
We also develop our own software that can run on PCs to control that equipment.

Recently at a meeting I heard that we were eventually going to start shifting the licencing from "perpetual licences" to "subscription licences" for those software packages.
They didn't actually say "yes, we will shift to that new licencing scheme", but made some hints in that direction ...

I personally don't agree with the concept of "subscription licences" for various reasons (mostly the loss of control for the end-user) and I do not want to do anything that supports such a system.
But I am just one of the "hardware-guys" so I don't really have any say when it come to the software marketing stuff ...

It is a difficult situation, because I really love working there.

So, what should I do?
Should I just quit?

What would you people do in this situation?
(I know it is my decision in the end, but some additional input can't hurt ...)
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That's weird. Usually the software is something you get for free when you buy the hardware. Does it really do that much that they feel they must charge for it? Does anyone have a reason to buy the software by itself, without the hardware?

Are you really supporting subscriptions by working for a company that uses that model? Is it the corollary that by working for a company you're tacitly supporting everything that company does? I don't think so. If anyone is supporting that business model is the customers.
Personally, I think a job is a job. We usually work where we can, not where we ideally would like. If you found a workplace you love, I really think you should not even consider leaving until you find a place you love even more, or you stop loving it there. There's many very good reasons to quit a job: your boss is an asshole, your coworkers are inept, you're underpaid, it's too far from home, etc. etc. I don't think the particular method the company uses to charge for its products is one of them.

A few years ago the company I work at shifted its focus to an industry I think contributes very little of value to the world, for how much resources it drains. Their rationale, which I still think is reasonable, was "during a gold rush, be the one selling pickaxes". I only considered leaving when my specific area of expertise was no longer very aligned with the sort of projects that were coming our way and I felt I wasn't pulling my weight. It's not that I didn't understand the technologies, it's that I wasn't as productive anymore. Also I didn't really like working with them and I thought (and still do) that they're technical disasters.
Alright, that makes sense!
It's up to the customers. If nobody buys it, then it won't be "adapted" as the new "standard".

No, the "software" alone wouldn't be of much use ...
(But the "hardware" alone would also be useless ...)
But from how I understand it, more dev work went into the software then the hardware ...

There are different versions of the software. The hardware is the same, no matter what "package" the customer buys.
But some versions of the software support things like running multiple measurement units form one PC, or measuring at higher bandwidths.
The hardware is the same, the "limitation" and licencing is done in the software.


But many customers want to use the software packages that come with the newest devices and use them with their old units. (The new software is backwards compatible and much easier to use and has a lot of neat new features...)
(The "old version" of the software was around for a loooooong time, it still looks like a windows XP application, so I can understand why the customers want the new software without buying the expensive new hardware ... ).

For "lower budget" customer, the subscription thing makes sense of course. Pay for it as long as you want to use it, no big "upfront costs". If you look at it that way, this could bring in more customers, so that's a good thing ....

So I think the company will end up with both "systems", depending on the needs (and the financial situation) of the customer.

I guess I just worry too much sometimes ...

And I have my personal "frame" of what is right and wrong and I stick to that without exceptions.
That is more important to me then "getting paid".
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No, the "software" alone wouldn't be of much use ...
(But the "hardware" alone would also be useless ...)
But from how I understand it, more dev work went into the software then the hardware ...

There are different versions of the software. The hardware is the same, no matter what "package" the customer buys.
But some versions of the software support things like running multiple measurement units form one PC, or measuring at higher bandwidths.
The hardware is the same, the "limitation" and licencing is done in the software.


But many customers want to use the software packages that come with the newest devices and use them with their old units. (The new software is backwards compatible and much easier to use and has a lot of neat new features...)
(The "old version" of the software was around for a loooooong time, it still looks like a windows XP application, so I can understand why the customers want the new software without buying the expensive new hardware ... ).
Fair enough, I guess it's an unusual situation.

For "lower budget" customer, the subscription thing makes sense of course. Pay for it as long as you want to use it, no big "upfront costs". If you look at it that way, this could bring in more customers, so that's a good thing ....
I generally don't like subscriptions, but JetBrains has a model that I do like. You can either pay a one time fee of x and get the then-current version of ReSharper, or get a subscription that's a little more than x/12 a month. While you keep your subscription you get updates. After the first year you can choose to stop the subscription and you own the version at that time. They can also switch you between the different methods if you later change your mind and it's all quite fair. As a customer it makes me think "okay. It's not about bleeding me dry, but about offering me different payment options while letting them remain profitable. It's a fair compromise."

And I have my personal "frame" of what is right and wrong and I stick to that without exceptions.
That is more important to me then "getting paid".
To each his own. I feel I'm only responsible for what I personally do and I refuse to get lumped into groups.
I personally don't agree with the concept of "subscription licences" for various reasons (mostly the loss of control for the end-user) and I do not want to do anything that supports such a system.

...

And I have my personal "frame" of what is right and wrong and I stick to that without exceptions.
That is more important to me then "getting paid".


Well, therein lies the answer. Congratulations on solving the problem yourself. Best wishes for a successful outcome.
Subscription based licensing is becoming popular with software developers because they get a continuing influx of cash. Coupled with cloud-based access makes current software less attractive to end users like me IMO. Subscription based and/or internet verification DRM games are especially annoying to me.

Companies will continue treating their customers as money trees, give a shake and bunches of dough will fall, until more individuals and companies say, "NO MORE!"
we were eventually going to start shifting the licencing from "perpetual licences" to "subscription licences" for those software packages.
That's certainly not a reason to quit. What would it change? Is the new company better than this?
And further more: There isn't really much damage done, is it?
That's certainly not a reason to quit. What would it change? Is the new company better than this?
And further more: There isn't really much damage done, is it?

Advising someone, particularly a person you probably don't know, to terminate or continue their employment is a very irresponsible call to make. Further, to make pronouncements on levels of damage on the basis of the most meagre evidence, and to thereby impugn, diminish, trivialize or otherwise contradict that persons stated code of ethics could lead to serious legal liabilities and medical-social consequences. All told a very silly statement to make. No person with any sort of experience in these matters would be so stupid.
self interest time: its not the best time to be quitting unless you have another job ready to walk into.

so at the very least, wait it out and see what happens.
Excellent balanced advice - from the point of income/career safety especially.
Thanks for all the answers!
I have thought about it and I decided I will not quit just because of "a rumor about this" floating around in the company.

And as somebody mentioned: What would quitting change?
Nothing! The company would just hire somebody else and I would have no job.

With all that is going on right now it would be difficult to find a new job, so I think I have made my decicion.

As I mentioned, I have my own "strict code of ethics", but that only applies when I have all the information to make a decision.
Rumors and "hear-say" are not something that a serious decision should be made on.

Thanks anyway!

Also, why was the respones from "againtry" flagged as "reported"?
He didn't say anything wrong as far as I can tell ...
againtry is an idiot and some of us have had enough of their shit. Some, like me, respond by hiding their posts with a script. Others respond by reporting them.
Oh, ok ...
I didn't know that.
But I am new here ....

Whenever I had actually technical questions, "againtry" had been helpful, so, that's the impression that I got from them ...

But maybe that is different here in the "offtopic" section ...
@helios behaviour and loaded comments and attacks over an extended period are the behaviour of an abusive grooming priest. @helios tried it on me a while ago and is upset at getting nowhere. I discussed it with her employer in Argentina, Nektra. @helios is just lashing out. It’s fun to bait abusers. I own @helios, I control her bullying and grooming. I don’t give decent people a hard time. I do stand up to grooming bullies.
By ownership I mean I can turn the groomer on and off like a tap. That was an example. I write a home truth and bazinga there’s my property coming in with the anti-troll script advice from Nektra-man. Watch this space for upset grooming priest @helios.

Pompous ol’ feather duster Albatross with her Elizabethan-Edwardian turn of phrase will come in and pontificate at any moment now instead of actively and constructively contributing.
Bazinga ... tap on
ROFL bazinga, bazinga ... I just love owning bullies and groomers
ROFL Bazinga, the groomers filter script doesn’t work. Defective program written by a deviant bully.
Bazinga it's back on again - Deviance v6.1.1 out now, groomers
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