Licensing is pretty difficult. It is one of the findings over the years as a software vendor. We have to change the model a few times after was have been adding much more functionality into the application. I really do understand why it is something that makes things complicated.
Rule number 1 in licensing: You will never find the optimal model
Rule number 2 in licensing: Customers will always have objections to the license terms and pricing or it is too cheap
The license should match the business case
The main criteria the license should in some way reflect the way the business case is able to find the money. So if the service is able to save 100 EUR pr employee, then the software should be licensed at 50-80 EUR pr employee. That will give some room for making an ROI and will mean the business will save 20-50 EUR pr employee. It is seldom that simple.
We are creating software that makes it a lot easier to run SAP PI/CPI and API mgt. We help automate the change management process so the value you are getting from the Figaf tool is in the following ways.
- Each time you are doing a new development or a change on interface there is a cost associated with testing, documentation, and transportation. The Figaf tool help save you time here so it makes sense to license this factor
- The other place where the tool will help is in the areas of upgrades that the Figaf tool will help make it easier to test the SAP PI/PO system after an upgrade
- Automation of support with the Support tool. The Support tool is a part of the suite, making it easier to set up automatic monitoring of the solution.
- Git integration enables users to expose CPI or API mgt repository to a Git project making it a lot easier to write and test unit tests in the code.
We have expanded the reach from just testing SAP PI to be able to support the full change management process for PI/PO, CPI and API mgt. We may add SAP Open Connectors if there is a request for it. So it makes sense to consider how we can make a good license model that will enable users to grow with the product.
Earlier we licensed the number of named users, the number of the system you connected and number of test cases. It leed to some strange offers for some clients where it really did not make a lot of sense. We needed to create a license with the specific system users could use the system on.
In the new option, we tried to make it more aligned with the business values we provide and easier to maintain. To enable it we have enabled a license server that record objects are licensed. Then we can use this information to validate the used amount. The information sent is just hash of system, interface, namespace and some statistical information like type of object like ICO/IFlow. That way we will not know what systems customers are using.
- The number of scenarios where the Figaf tool is used. This is an ICO, Iflow in CPI and a Proxy in API mgt. We will only license the base version in the development system that way it is only the places where Figaf tool helps that is counted. It also only count the Objects where you are using Figaf to manage, so all the objects that you do not want to use the tool which is not counted. You can also connect all different types of objects under the license. So both PI, CPI or API management can be used, so you can use the tool for all the platforms that matter.
- The number of tickets. In Figaf we have a concent called Ticket. A Ticket is a way to collect all the information required for solving a business request, like a Jira, ServiceNow or Solution Manager. The Ticket collects all the objects that are changed as a result of the test, the transports performed for it, the testing involved.
We then have three packages
| Package | Support | Testing | DevOps |
| Support | x | x | |
| Testing | x | x | |
| Change Tracking | x | ||
| Tickets | x | ||
| Transport | x | ||
| Documentation | x | ||
| Git | x | ||
| Base Price EUR/Year | €4,000.00 | €10,000.00 | €15,000.00 |
The one that makes most sense and where the Figaf tool is giving the most value is for the DevOps Package.
Both Testing and DevOps come with 100 Objects and DevOps comes with 100 Tickets/Year for that price. It is possible to buy an extra of both. There is a bigger discount for buying many objects.
Trial license
We have previously given a pretty wide scope for the trial license that we have, it was a community license. You could test with 10 ICOs, but it may have been able to give you too much access to use the product. With this online licensing server we also have to option to give 10 Integration Objects and 10 Tickets to trial users. You can get access to a trial license. See the email when you register.
Migration
We have added the option to help perform SAP PI/PO migrations. Here it is leveraging the same license way of licensing. Here we are counting the number of objects that you migrate to the development system in the new landscape. It will be a one time fee pr ICO that is migrated.
Try the Figaf Tool
You can signup and try the tool pretty easy. Just go to Figaf.com/IRT and try it out. It will take you around 30-60 minutes to get started on your laptop.