SmartSDR Subscription Service

John

From what i understand, it’s not $200 per year. Your not locked into a yearly subscription. From what I’ve gathered you can pay year 1, let it lapse for say 2 years. If you then pay $199 in year 4, you get all updates you missed in years 2 & 3. When you subscribe for year 4 you get any updates in that 12 month period. You could then let it lapse. You won’t lose any features and while it’s lapsed if they release a feature you especially want you can pay $199 to get that feature and you got 12 months if any features are released in that 12 months . From my readings of the subject. I just hope they start releasing more features more often. Oh, it works out about $304 here in VK.

73 Wayne

John

I think Ham Radio Deluxe have a similar system as Flex are introducing

I think that's a good way to look at it, Dan. Unfortunately, FlexRadio is calling it a subscription model and is using terms like annual subscription. That, I suspect is a major cause of the confusion/angst evident in this thread.

Since my earlier post I've also thought some more about the 8600 and concluded that I need to separate out the hardware and software in my thinking. The decision to get the 8600 needs to be based purely on the cost/benefit analysis of what the hardware offers. The software delivery model doesn't need to figure in the equation because it'll be exactly the same for my 6600.

Still learning!

73, John, G3WGV

I believe FlexRadio is using the term subscription in a way that may be unfamiliar or confusing to many customers. Pricing model transitions are inherently tricky, often misunderstood and difficult to communicate clearly. With that in mind, I’d recommend Flex take a look at how Unraid.net presents their offering as a model of clarity.

While Unraid sells software and not hardware, they faced a similar challenge about a year ago. Previously, they offered perpetual licenses with free updates for life. This approach meant their only source of new revenue was from new customers, a limitation that became increasingly problematic as they approached market saturation. It constrained their ability to hire developers and continue growing the product.

To address this, Unraid introduced a tiered licensing model:

• Starter – Supports up to 6 storage devices. Includes a perpetual license and one year of free OS updates. Users can pay a modest annual fee to continue receiving updates.
• Unleashed – Supports unlimited devices. Also a perpetual license with one year of updates, and the same optional renewal fee.
• Lifetime – Unlimited devices, perpetual license, and free updates for life.

Their pricing page is exceptionally clear. The FAQ explicitly states:
"Unraid OS is not a subscription. Once you purchase a license, you own it forever."

It goes on to explain:
"Starter and Unleashed licenses include one free year of software updates with purchase. After one year, customers can pay an optional extension fee (just $36 for the year), making them eligible for another year of updates."
"If you choose not to extend your license, no problem. You still own the license and have full access to the OS—you simply will not be eligible for future updates unless or until you pay the extension fee."

This language is deliberate and user-friendly. By framing the model around licenses and extensions, rather than subscriptions, Unraid avoids confusion and reassures customers that they retain ownership and access.

FlexRadio’s approach is somewhat different, particularly in offering ongoing bug fixes for free and reserving the subscription for new features. Still, I’d strongly encourage Flex to consider Unraid’s example when communicating their pricing changes. The clarity and tone Unraid uses, especially their avoidance of the term subscription, makes a big difference in customer understanding and trust.

First, I am a big fan of FlexRadio and have full intention to be a long time customer.

I do think they should have rethought the banner "Exciting News". Yes, exciting for the company, not so much for the consumer.

The subscription business model is not overly surprising as this is the way of many tech companies. The subscription model is a guaranteed revenue stream. Nothing wrong with that, but $199/year is an expensive gamble for the consumer and a bit of a gamble for the company. People will expect, especially at the price point, to receive regular new features, so they better be prepared to deliver. I can see the pushback from customers, even more so with those who just bought the 8000 series, as you can almost by a car for the price of the gear. Asking people to pay more on top of that is naturally going to be a hard sell. I think Flex would get more interest and support from customers if it was $99/year. They may actually lose revenue with $199/year as people may not be willing to pay that where they would have $99/year. Competitors will be watching this.

I've seen the arguments of "It's cheaper than streaming subscription" and the like. While mathematically true, amateur radio is still a hobby and the consumer by and large may not see this as an apples to apples correlation.

The higher tier is ridiculous. One is essentially paying to be a tester. No thank you. I'm not going to pay even more money for a half baked cake. Give it to me when toothpick comes out clean.

As for me, I want to know more before I can warm up to it. Such as: Will they require auto renewal? Can I choose to not renew one year but renew at a later time, and get caught up on what has previously been released? Are you going to have features greyed out as a marketing ploy to get me to buy a subscription?

73

A comparable pricing strategy can be found in the video game industry’s use of "Season Passes." In this model, customers purchase the base game with core functionality, and then have the option to buy a season pass that grants access to future downloadable content (DLC) or expansion packs.

According to Wikipedia: "A season pass is a form of video game monetization in which consumers purchase a discounted package for current and future downloadable content (DLC) and/or expansion packs for a video game atop its base cost. A game may have a single season pass or, for some lifestyle games, new season passes over time. The name originates from the concept of a season pass/ticket for sports (although more akin to acquiring the box set of a season from a TV series). First introduced around 2011, the use of season passes became commonplace among triple-A and mobile game publishers by the end of the 2010s. Season passes can be controversial because the contents of a season pass are not fully itemized beforehand or may not contain all planned DLC..."

"Season passes may be available to purchase alongside the game prior to its release, or may be available after the game's release. Once purchased, the player gains all content that has been released to date under that season pass and eligible for future, unannounced content. Many season passes state the type of content that players will get even though the exact content may be unknown at the time."

This model has faced significant pushback from gamers, and many of the concerns raised in the FlexRadio online forums mirror those outlined in the Wikipedia entry. The biggest challenge, and one FlexRadio should carefully consider, is clearly communicating the value customers will receive from such a pass.

Let's look at this from a different perspective:

I actually see this new "subscription" as a plus for us Flex owners. Scenario: let's say lots of us sign up and each part with our 200 bucks. And then any new features are not impressive or not useful for most ops. What's going to happen? Very low renewal rate for the following year! So, this may be a good thing, a carrot on a stick for Flex: Come up with some good features regularly to prove that this is a good deal, or suffer big renewal losses.

@Ken AG2K All the Maestros are just clients.