Powerdraft end of life v migration to Connect

How do users feel about the end of Powerdraft and the upgrade terms to Microstation Connect Edition? We are a SME and have 6 Powerdraft lciences. We have tried Connect software previously but even on new high end workstations there is a fair lag when opening drawigs and switching between files.

Bentley have emailed about dropping support for Powerdraft and offering a no cost conversion of perpetual licenses to Microstation. However the "no cost" part involves paying £1197 per licence for select fees, so that would be £7192 to replace something we already had been paying for for decades. This is a substantial cost for a small firm like ours.

Most bizarelly of all, support for Powerdraft is ceasing however if you don't migrate, the Select subscription fees will INCREASE by 25% per Powerdraft licence...for an unsupported product that we have already bought many times over ! I have asked for justification for this but this particular point gets avoided. Yes you get  a deal on Microstation but why the 25% uplift if you don't migrate?

Am I missing something or is this mad?

Happy for a Bentley rep to reply as well. Note we have been using Bentley productts since 1993 and this is not much of a reward for being a loyal customer and after the overusage fees charged for ten minutes accidental opening of drawings, edges us closer to leaving Benltley for a competitior..

  • Hi Peter, a few replies now with similar sentiments. My original enquiries about the 25% and the one off payments were met initially with the repeat of the offer. Will see how things go moving forward. We only just renewed our Select subs just a few weeks prior to this announcement. Had we known we may have done something differently. So for your situation, if you don't need 3D functionality, you don't exactly gain much from this 'upgrade'. We may also have to replace our hardware as even 2-3 year old PCs with decent hardware seem to find any Connect software hanging, especially when going between files. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

  • We do some 3D work from time to time and that's where we use the Microstation licences. We did have multiple software instances on PCs but removed them back to one per PC after the licencing overage issues we experienced!  We all work away happily on our mix of MicroStation and Powerdraft, and to be forced into this change is not what we wanted to have to do. And being trumpeted as a free upgrade is not the case when you have to shell out for the one off payments of over a grand, is not as attractive as it is meant to be. 

    Select upgrades are a big benefit, but the less than seamless way we have to upgrade is not ideal, as I said elsewhere, not everyone is an expert software configurator and the saving of interfaces never seems to work every time forcing a fresh set up. I do all the configuring of Bentley software in the office, and know enough to keep things moving. The Bentley CRM I have had meetings with took note of my feedback and it would be good to see if any part of this proposal changes. Not sure how larger companies than us will feel who have multiple licences of Powerdraft will feel about having to shell out tens of thousands of pounds for something they basically already have. If you are a PD user and don't need 3D functionality, where is your benefit?

  • Yes Bob, we went through that process in 2011 when we had to drop out of select altogether as we were in a deep recession. It was quite the hit coming back on! 

  • Yes...pretty miffed really...we had to upgrade software to Powerdraft Connect Edition in 2020 (at a substantial Capital Cost) when our V8 package bought in 2007 was discontinued (without much support for the process).

    I submitted a specific question about the principle of the 'free upgrade' from Powerdraft to Microstation in a Webinar arranged by our reseller / Bentley this morning...specifically about future licensing /subscriptions costs but didn't get an answer.

    I'm not even currently aware of how the 'upgrade' is being managed let alone any future costs / subscriptions.

    As other contributors...ours is a micro business and we have never had the need for a 3D application...let alone the budget to afford 3D drafting or hire external consultants for the inevitable IT management that comes with developing 3D 'cells' for doors and the like, let alone the time for learning additional feature, etc.

    I agree that businesses need to be apprised of the full picture on costs...as it may have been prudent for our business to consider alternatives in 2020 had we known that our upgrade to Powerdraft Connect was going to be so short lived! 

  • Regarding being able to use a software you've got perpetual license for past 2022, from my opinion, you should be able to. It just that when the select licence server is switched off, you'll have to revert node lock licence (checked out / PC bound) mechanism, if I remember correctly.

    This issue had been brought up before when Bentley threatened to turn off their SS activation server.