2020 continues to be a big year for iText. Hot on the heels of the release of iText 7.1.10, the first version of our newest add-on pdfRender, and the release of iText DITO v1.3 we have some great news for our commercial customers. From April 2020 onwards, we are changing our commercial model from a perpetual license to a new, more flexible, annual subscription model.
Firstly, to give an overview of iText’s product portfolio, our primary focus is the continued development of the well-known iText PDF SDK (of which iText 7 is the latest release). That is - and remains - available under a dual licensing scheme: open-source AGPL and commercial licenses, which companies purchase to secure support, to protect intellectual property, or because they cannot comply with the AGPL conditions. Several add-ons to our PDF library are open-source, while others are only available under a commercial license.
In addition to the iText PDF SDK, we also develop the low-code PDF generation solution, iText DITO, also offered closed-source. And, like all our closed-source technology, it’s only available under a commercial license.
The commercial licenses iText offers are now moving to a subscription basis, which will affect all new customers and new site/installations. The only exception, however, is for OEM: for OEM customers, iText will still maintain the perpetual license model.
The transition means that all new customers who buy a commercial license of iText’s PDF SDK library or a license for its low-code template generator iText DITO will no longer have to deal with the initial larger expenses for one-time licenses. They will only pay a regular annual fee, and the same is valid for the support cost, which remains mandatory for the first year.
As Yeonsu Kim, CEO of iText Group NV says, “iText is modernizing itself by embracing the subscription business model. This move is the most important change in iText’s business model of recent years, perhaps even since its inception. It’s a big step that I am happy to take as the benefits for our clients are evident at first glance."
The benefits of iText subscription include:
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Better allocation and control over funds with regards to added value. You will only pay for what you actually use in the given period.
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Higher predictability. The costs will be spread out over a given period.
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Lower initial costs. The subscription can be put into books as OPEX.
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The ability to leverage your Operating Expense Budget over Capital Expense Budget.
iText’s new licensing model will take immediate effect from April 2nd, 2020 onwards. The contract term is a 1, 2 or 3-year subscription.
By adopting the subscription-based model, we will bring increased value and benefits for iText’s many commercial customers. If you’d like more information, visit https://itextpdf.com/en/how-buy