Saving Money on Yearly Software Maintenance Service Subscription

To save money, what if i only renew the MATLAB home license Software Maintenance Service Subscription every year and the MATLAB home license and toolboxes Software Maintenance Service Subscription every other year?

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

You would not save any money.

When you renew your SMS, you are required to pay any payments that you might have missed.

Historically, you could back-pay up to 4 years, after which you were required to get a complete new license.

[Joseph R Stainback IV]

Just to make sure I understand so nothing is inferred here, if I renew my SMS for just MATAB for next year ($75), and then MATLAB and Optimization Toolbox in 2026, Mathworks will charge me $75 + ($23 x 2) = $121 renew MATLAB and the toolbox?

[Walter Roberson]

I do not think Mathworks will allow you to renew just the base MATLAB license without the toolbox license, but maybe they will.

[Joseph R Stainback IV]

It looks like they will based on the cart choices, so my original question still stands.

[Walter Roberson]

The answer remains that you would not save money. At best you would postpone payment. At worst, prices will go up and you would end up paying the back-payments at the increased prices.

[Joseph R Stainback IV]

This "sounds" like the answer to my question is uncertain given the response " .. I do not think Mathworks will allow you to renew just the base MATLAB license without the toolbox license .. " when this was not true based on my cart selections. I will seek other information directly from Mathworks.

[John D'Errico]

If you don't renew a toolbox one year, then I recall you don't get to continue to use it either. You cannot use old toolboxes in a new release.

[Joseph R Stainback IV]

This begs the question should I only renew the SMS every other year for ALL of it, MATLAB and Tooboxes, since the toolboxes go together with the current version. What is the consequence to my home perpetual license if I do that?

[John D'Errico]

If you want a valid answer, then you NEED to contact sales. We are not sales. We do not set or enforce the rules.

[Walter Roberson]

If you don't renew a toolbox one year, then I recall you don't get to continue to use it either.

That is not correct. Home licenses are perpetual. SMS covers upgrade rights. If you do not renew SMS then you do not have upgrade rights, but you continue to be able to use up to the last version covered by your SMS.

[Joseph R Stainback IV]

This past answer is the best, I think, and full circle back to my original question .. it sounds like with the home perpetual license, I have control over SMS at my choosing, reasonably. In other words, if I chose to obtain an SMS every other year, there would be no consequece to my MATLAB and toolboxes, except, perhaps some subtle fixes or upgrades I would not be able to take advantage of on the year I don't obtain the SMS.

[John D'Errico]

@Joseph R Stainback IV

But... You won't save any money if you do that. And you will miss out on some occasional fixes that will be important. It is not only enhancements that happen each year, but bug fixes.