To simplify the license model even more, the software can either be used on-site or in the cloud.

A Single Licensing Model for On-Site and the Cloud On finishing with the application, the sTUs are returned to the pool for the next user.

The units are stored in a pool, and the user books out the software he needs by checking out the number of units required for that application, for instance, Altair Inspire 2018.

solidThinking units (sTUs) are now available for all products in the solidThinking suite. Users of solidThinking software were still required to buy each of the products they wanted, based on the license model that was in force when Altair acquired solidThinking.Īlthough Altair had purchased solidThinking in 2008, they did not change the license management software from the original Flexera FlexLM and the purchase-per-product approach until recently, in August 2018. The licensing model is units-based and the customer buys and uses the Hyperworks units (HWUs) according to the business need, selecting the specific software they require from the suite, rather than buying licenses for each product. The objective of this change was to provide greater flexibility in the licensing options offered to customers, especially for their Hyperworks suite. Altair’s contribution to SME growth is to make CAE more accessible, firstly by changing their licensing model for solidThinking.Įight years ago, when they released Hyperworks 11.0, Altair changed their license manager from Flexera to LM-X from X-Formation. It is widely recognised that SMEs are the powerhouse of economic growth globally, and that every effort should be made to facilitate their rocky path to create a sustainable business. Combining this cost with the learning curve required to apply the principles embedded in computer-aided engineering (CAE) has resulted in many great ideas not getting to market. A major barrier to innovation for startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is the cost of simulation software.

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