What's up with m-files licensing

Well, I'm afraid I will disagree with you here.

My understanding is that you are going to stop the support of non-subscription version of M-file by the end of next year. For most of my clients, M-Files is an absolute core tool that we can not leave unsupported. Imagine a Windows Update that breaks something in M-Files. If the product is unsupported, we are pretty much screwed.

The subscription model is acceptable as long as you have a choice. Microsoft, Adobe, etc have all pivoted to it but they still also provide the possibility to purchase you applications and support for them. Again, for a product as strategic as M-Files, we simply cannot accept the notion of the publisher "pulling the plug" at any time for whatever reason they might feel like. Some of my customers have tasked me to find a replacement for that very reason - on principle (BTW if anyone wants to chime in with suggestions be my guest !).

Now don't get me wrong. I still love the product. I understand that you - or more likely your VC backers - want to milk the cow. That's unfortunately standard practice nowadays. But make sure you don't shoot yourselves in the foot in so doing.

A suggestion if I might: maybe it would be time for a M-Files "light" or "core". Something with the feature set of, say, v2018 (or even earlier than that), offered as a standalone, supported (if not developed) product. I'm sure there would be a market for it.

PS: Yes I have voiced there concerns with my reseller and I'm sure that they passed the message.
PPS: Yes the reoccurrence of the license management issues is worrying

Well, I'm afraid I will disagree with you here.

My understanding is that you are going to stop the support of non-subscription version of M-file by the end of next year. For most of my clients, M-Files is an absolute core tool that we can not leave unsupported. Imagine a Windows Update that breaks something in M-Files. If the product is unsupported, we are pretty much screwed.

The subscription model is acceptable as long as you have a choice. Microsoft, Adobe, etc have all pivoted to it but they still also provide the possibility to purchase you applications and support for them. Again, for a product as strategic as M-Files, we simply cannot accept the notion of the publisher "pulling the plug" at any time for whatever reason they might feel like. Some of my customers have tasked me to find a replacement for that very reason - on principle (BTW if anyone wants to chime in with suggestions be my guest !).

Now don't get me wrong. I still love the product. I understand that you - or more likely your VC backers - want to milk the cow. That's unfortunately standard practice nowadays. But make sure you don't shoot yourselves in the foot in so doing.

A suggestion if I might: maybe it would be time for a M-Files "light" or "core". Something with the feature set of, say, v2018 (or even earlier than that), offered as a standalone, supported (if not developed) product. I'm sure there would be a market for it.

PS: Yes I have voiced there concerns with my reseller and I'm sure that they passed the message.
PPS: Yes the reoccurrence of the license management issues is worrying