To paraphrase an ancient truth: The only thing that’s perpetual is change.
And that truth applies to the software market just as much as it does to every other area of life.
When I took over at Canvas last year I was so excited to be joining a company whose products inspire so much loyalty and affection. One of my primary aims was to see the company add to our product portfolio with new and ever more diverse and high-value capabilities.
The launch of Canvas X³ CADComposer earlier this year saw us realize that ambition and we are delighted with the interest that it has already generated.
Canvas X³ was developed in response to direct requests from some of our largest customers, who (as always) were looking for ways to drive new efficiencies in key workflows. This is what we do and it’s what we’ll keep doing through 2020 and beyond.
I also realized that we needed to bring Canvas into line with the wider software industry.
Today the enterprise customers we serve typically consume essential software products on a subscription basis. It allows for better financial planning, it ensures they are always on the best-performing version of those software products, and it enables software companies to truly support their customers as part of a deeper, more aligned partnership.
And, let’s be candid, it also offers software companies like Canvas the improved stability and predictability we need to keep driving the development of great products.
For these reasons I decided to move the Canvas X suite of products to a subscription-only pricing model, which means an end to perpetual licences.
Change can be a little tricky sometimes but, happily, we’re encountering very little objection or disruption. The move has, in fact, been widely anticipated.
Naturally there are some customers who haven’t welcomed this change with open arms.
And my job now, indeed the job of all of us at Canvas, is to prove to every one of our customers that the subscription model is right for them – because Canvas is a partner for the long term.
Our job is to prove that we can deliver genuine value which evolves as part of dynamic, interactive, and mutually beneficial customer relationships.
To prove that this change, at least, is a good thing.
As always I like nothing more than to hear from our customers, so please feel free to contact me directly at patricia.hume@localhost.
Pat
