OCTOBER 2019 PCWorld 105vendors handle everything from installation
to patches, updates, backups,
modifications, security, 24/7 support, and
more, the SaaS (Software as a Service)
option is definitely the preferred solution for
both big and small businesses.”
Forrester VP & research director Allen
Bonde sees both the pros and the cons.
“The appeal of many subscription models, at
first, is quick setup, automatic upgrades, and
the chance to try it before you buy it.”
On the flipside, Bonde cautions,
“companies must be mindful of what they’re
actually using and what is, effectively, shelf-
ware; which hits your budget every month
with recurring charges. There are cheaper
alternatives to some of the brand-name tools
such as Adobe, Microsoft, and others; but
you’re often trading off functionality for cost.”
I asked family, friends, and colleagues
about their experiences with software
subscriptions, and
it’s a mixed bag.
Some complain
that vendors aren’t
providing enough
of the “new”
features they
promise, and most
of the upgrades
aren’t any better
than the current
model. One user
confided that she
actually liked the older versions better,
because they satisfied her needs and
weren’t as complicated as the newer
versions.
Others have confessed that they
wouldn’t upgrade their operating system,
even when Microsoft stopped supporting it,
because some of their favorite older
programs are no longer available—and
they’re incompatible with Windows 10.
Another problem with the subscription
products, Forrester analyst Duncan Jones
points out, “is that providers can continually
increase prices, which customers are unable
to resist. It’s like an escalator that you can’t
get off, going up faster and faster.” Jones
noted that additional fees may arise. “It’s
also the extra charges that are added to
most of the new software programs. So
costs go up more than customers can afford,
until they start to rebel.”Affinity Publisher is just one of the alternatives to Adobe InDesign.