Smart Notebook - subscription

[speckytecky]

Recently we have been asked to renew an annual support contract for Smart Notebook. I wasn't aware we had a contract and had assumed that the Smart Software that came with Smartboards ran for the lifetime of the boards. What's the score on this please?

[snagrat]

When you buy a new smart device it comes with 1 years maintenance giving you the right to the latest version. If you don't renew you are only allow the version that was current when the support ended.

[sparkeh]

You can use up to version 10 11.4 for free. Subsequent versions require a licence that you renew annually and gives you the right to use the latest version.

 

As stated when you buy a board it comes with a years licence.

 

You can buy individual licenses or get a site licence (depending on which makes more financial sense)

 

We have just bought a 3 year site license and up until the end I march they are throwing in a free year!

 

Edit: don't use the Smart website licence cost calculator (or random number generator as I call it) to see how much it costs you. Talk to a reseller.

Edited March 4, 2017 by sparkeh

[snagrat]

You can use up to version 10 (IIRC) for free. Subsequent versions require a licence that you renew annually and gives you the right to use the latest version.

 

As stated when you buy a board it comes with a years licence.

 

You can buy individual licenses or get a site licence (depending on which makes more financial sense)

 

We have just bought a 3 year site license and up until the end I march they are throwing in a free year!

 

Edit: don't use the Smart website licence cost calculator (or random number generator as I call it) to see how much it costs you. Talk to a reseller.

 

11.4 is the last version that does not require a key

[jmak]

The newly released site licenses are a definite step forward. However watch out for the clause specifying how many Smart devices you have: the headline price depends on having >75% Smart Boards.

[free780]

Interesting... They must be losing a fair bit of business with the shift to subscription.

 

Though found 11.4 leaves a kernel level driver behind after uninstall.

Edited March 4, 2017 by free780

[sted]

Interesting... They must be losing a fair bit of business with the shift to subscription.

 

Though found 11.4 leaves a kernel level driver behind after uninstall.

 

imo they dont want to make hardware anymore they just want to sell software like adobe and as their current tv's arnt the most reliable best things out there i can see why

[localzuk]

imo they dont want to make hardware anymore they just want to sell software like adobe and as their current tv's arnt the most reliable best things out there i can see why

I don't think that's it. They love their hardware business, and since they've sorted out their pricing, they are competitively priced now. The issue is that other hardware manufacturers have stormed the market, and this caused people to switch over, and abandon SMART Notebook (or more accurately, use it illegally on non-SMART devices).

 

So, they have made it available as a product on its own too. Meaning they can cover both parts of the market.

 

I know I'd be hung, drawn and quartered if I tried to scrap Notebook here. About 90% of our teachers use it every lesson!

[XiJ]

The trouble is the software was perceived to be 'free' (it wasn't really) and now they want money for it. I think it's a good model but they have the pricing too high for non-Smart devices. I understand why but it means people continue to use old versions illegally - and check out alternatives.

[free780]

It does slow the OS down. Particularly if the smartboard is off. Trying to move away from a proprietary file format is also hard.

[Blue_Cookeh]

We ditched them when we went over to CleverTouch screens - nowadays the staff rarely use their laptops for whiteboard activities and use the built in apps on the built in Android system. Those that do still use their laptops on them just stick to PowerPoint weirdly!

 

I did see they were pushing their SMART Notebook subscriptions hard recently, but they priced us out of it years ago and now we don't have a reason to go back!

[jmak]

We don't have the funds to change all the boards in one go - at least the new licensing model allows us a change over option. The per user or device subscription they had before didn't even give us an upgrade path to new smart boards! (We would have ended up spending more on the software than the boards.)

[localzuk]

The price isn't too bad though really. Once you've got the original license (be it via buying a SMART bit of kit, or buying a license (not sure of the price on this now, as we bought ours ages ago), the subscription is pretty cheap. The last subscription we renewed in our trust worked out at £83 per classroom per year, on a 3 year deal.

[sparkeh]

The price isn't too bad though really. Once you've got the original license (be it via buying a SMART bit of kit, or buying a license (not sure of the price on this now, as we bought ours ages ago), the subscription is pretty cheap. The last subscription we renewed in our trust worked out at £83 per classroom per year, on a 3 year deal.

Yeah I think the pricing is good. In our price band (based on NOR) for a 3 year site licence (with a 4th year thrown in for free) its worked out at £16.41 per board per year.

Edited March 6, 2017 by sparkeh

[gsk]

What resellers are you using for smart licences?

[sparkeh]

What resellers are you using for smart licences?

@VeryPC

[speckytecky]

Higate did us a very nice deal.

 

What resellers are you using for smart licences?

Thanks for all the useful feedback on this thread folks.

[fiza]

The price isn't too bad though really. Once you've got the original license (be it via buying a SMART bit of kit, or buying a license (not sure of the price on this now, as we bought ours ages ago), the subscription is pretty cheap. The last subscription we renewed in our trust worked out at £83 per classroom per year, on a 3 year deal.

 

Yeah I think the pricing is good. In our price band (based on NOR) for a 3 year site licence (with a 4th year thrown in for free) its worked out at £16.41 per board per year.

 

That's a big difference in pricing £83 per class per year and £16.41 per board per year.

What does based on NOR mean please?

[jmak]

That's a big difference in pricing £83 per class per year and £16.41 per board per year.

What does based on NOR mean please?

Number on role

[localzuk]

That's a big difference in pricing £83 per class per year and £16.41 per board per year.

What does based on NOR mean please?

They changed the way they price things I think...

[sparkeh]

They changed the way they price things I think...

Yeah if memory serves, there was a change. And IIRC there is a banding structure for pricing. Also remember that we jumped on during a special offer of a free year. So the standard price per board over a 3 year term would be a bit higher.