Jim;

The "software model" seems like a strange duck. The addition of subscription service is also strange at this point of the game. Some companies are requiring subscription service to get bug fixes, as well as be permitted on their Internet forum.

If we purchase a program let us say an office suite, we expect it to work. Now, if we had to pay a subscription to receive bug fixes that would be something many may not be willing to accept. In our case it is software termed “development tools”. So there seems to be a distinction between consumer software and developer software. We have to pay to be developers. The consumer software market would not stand for this IMO.

Should software be bug free. Yes. Is it? No. Who pays for the software? The consumer. Who pays for the fixes? The consumer if: Good business practices have determined what major bugs may exist and the cost and time to fix them. Unknown bugs will crop up with the use of the software. This is the state we seem to have been in for a number of years.

To make a greater profit a company should deliver a software product regardless of how many bugs it has. Charge a subscription service so revenue will continue to be received. When a specified amount is in the budget, fix a problem and release the fix.

So I seem to hear that a voice that is telling me up until now software companies knew how to stay in business by selling product and factored in bug fixes as a cost of doing business. The new way is we pay for fixes in addition to the original product. New releases will occur when the budget for subscription services hits a specific amonut, and new product is ready (almost or not) to ship.

I will not mention the companies name but several years ago a well known software company had a plan that every 18 months a new version of any given product would be released. Then a letter was released that required releases every 12 months. The attempt to comply with this corporate dictate failed. It failed for many reasons – too many bugs, too few new features, little interest from the market. The plan was then changed back to the 18 month version and allows longer cycles if necessary.

I guess if I was selling software I would develop as many revenue streams (and schemes) as possible. If anyone thinks software subscriptions will provide better quality software, I think the result will be the opposite. What is the incentive?

Tom