Will I still be able to activate and use Bentley Microstation V8i after January 1, 2022?

We have seen the notices about the upcoming end of support for Microstation V8i Select Series 10. While we would be open to using the Connect edition, this is not possible for reasons that are outside of our control. All of our clients publish mandatory workspaces designed for V8i, and they have no plans to upgrade their workspace to Connect anytime in the near future. Please advise if we will still be able to download, install and activate Microstation V8i after the end of support date.

Thanks in advance!

Parents
  • Hi Tim Doyle,

    Yes, you will still be able to run/activate your MicroStation v8i Select Series 10 product even in a discontinued support state. 
    More can be read here:
    https://communities.bentley.com/communities/everything_else_community/bentley-support-policy/w/bentley-support-policy/56576/v8i-selectseries-10-support-policy-deprecation-and-connect-edition-upgrade-initiative

    I would recommend planning your migration to MicroStation CONNECT as soon as possible. From prior experience, I have observed multiple organizations using both versions in tandem - for example, when project/client requirements call for v8i utilization, but the end goal is to eventually migrate to CONNECT. This way, you can adjust to CONNECT while also fulfilling project requirements in v8i.

    Cheers,
    JP

  • There are many reasons NOT to migrate to CONNECT - the biggest is to meet client standards. While this may not be as critical for plain MicroStation, it is essential for the other design products. I know that civil, in particular, has project schedules that can last for years (if not decades). Many large DOTs have not made the leap to CONNECT, and may not for some time. As long as the standards and deliverables are SS10, we will not be switching over. The client gets what the client wants. Even when those large clients begin to switch over to CONNECT products, the projects begun in "legacy" software will remain in legacy format - project contracts negotiated two years ago do not have the extra budget for the complete redesign halfway through.

    CONNECT (and the other related design softwares) are a disappointment. Every release has regressions (some critical!), new bugs, and none of the features people have requested for years. I hear that stability and speed are still an issue, and there are other technical difficulties all across this board. Ending support on the last solid release of products is shortsighted and tone-deaf.

    MaryB

    Power GeoPak 08.11.09.918
    Power InRoads 08.11.09.918
    OpenRoads Designer 2021 R2

        

  • I'm afraid I have to agree with all of this. Trying to get users to switch is really hard. They hate Connect compared to V8i. It's slower, buggy and the 3d is a mess. I wish the new parametric stuff could just be switched off. It's a complete pain. 

  • I would recommend planning your migration to MicroStation CONNECT as soon as possible.

    Those who did that prior U13 were so shocked that it will take long time to get them back. SS10 is certified on Windows 10 so there is no urgency here. One of main reasons to migrate to CONNECT is thanks to Autodesk marketing releasing new DWG formats. 

  • One of main reasons to migrate to CONNECT is thanks to Autodesk marketing releasing new DWG formats.

    Making the choice of requesting consultants issue me with DWG's in no later than 2016 format was a complete no brainer, compared to having to use CONNECT.

    I would recommend planning your migration to MicroStation CONNECT as soon as possible.

    Out of curiosity, why?

    Why exactly would you recommend Tim move to a software which is evidently worse in almost every way, than V8i? Do you want Tim and his colleagues to experience the same frustrations that are consistently reported by regular CE users? I could fully understand IF CONNECT was at least on par with V8i in its performance but we all know that's not the case.

  • Hi Barry,

    Thanks for contributing to the conversation - input from our users is very important to us.
    There are many benefits when upgrading to MicroStation CONNECT from MicroStation v8i - support status, continuous updates, and new features to name a few. Making the move to MicroStation CONNECT would be the logical choice, especially since development has been discontinued for the v8i generation. Although we understand there may be some understandable limitations (projects, client needs, etc.), it will eventually be in your best interest to upgrade. Now is a better time than ever, especially since you can use both v8i and CE at the same time.

    I would encourage you to read this blog post as it goes into more detail regarding "parallel installations" as well as what is new in MicroStation CONNECT:
    https://communities.bentley.com/products/microstation/b/microstation_blog/posts/like-v8i-you-ll-love-connect-side-by-side-the-microstation-connect-edition-and-microstation-v8i

    If you have further concerns or issues with upgrading to MicroStation CONNECT, I would encourage you to Create a New Service Request via our Service Request Manager to voice your concerns and/or receive further assistance.

    Cheers,
    Jayson P.

  • It appears that you have no experience using both products in a production environment.

    While there are aspects of V8i that I might like updated, it is a reliable, stable software release. It does not need "continuous updates" because it WORKS. Those continuous updates have caused a lot of bugs and regressions, and the new features aren't always that useful.

    Besides, those "benefits" will be of no use to me until my clients upgrade. As a matter of fact, they will cost me quite a bit of time and budget to develop in-house standards (approximating the clients' V8i standards), which will be discarded when we finally DO receive our client standards.

    MaryB

    Power GeoPak 08.11.09.918
    Power InRoads 08.11.09.918
    OpenRoads Designer 2021 R2

        

Reply
  • It appears that you have no experience using both products in a production environment.

    While there are aspects of V8i that I might like updated, it is a reliable, stable software release. It does not need "continuous updates" because it WORKS. Those continuous updates have caused a lot of bugs and regressions, and the new features aren't always that useful.

    Besides, those "benefits" will be of no use to me until my clients upgrade. As a matter of fact, they will cost me quite a bit of time and budget to develop in-house standards (approximating the clients' V8i standards), which will be discarded when we finally DO receive our client standards.

    MaryB

    Power GeoPak 08.11.09.918
    Power InRoads 08.11.09.918
    OpenRoads Designer 2021 R2

        

Children
No Data