Please enable JavaScript to view this site.

Navigation: What's new in Version 8?

Licensing and Updates

Scroll Prev Top Next More

For over 20 years, we have been using the same standard licensing system for Help+Manual, based on the old world of Software in which programs were distributed on floppy disks or CDs. With Help+Manual 8 we are bringing this up to date with a new system that will enable us to maintain the program better and release major features much more frequently. In addition to this, users of the new Floating licenses that replace the Server version will now be able to use their licenses anywhere in the world, not just on a local network.

See License Management for information and tips on using the new licenses.

Perpetual licenses with regular major feature updates

In the past, we offered perpetual licenses with free minor version updates. You purchased the program and got free minor updates within the purchased major version. For example, for version 7 that would be all updates from 7.0.0 to 7.x.xx, however high the x numbers got before the next major upgrade. The minor updates were generally fixes or small improvements. This resulted on long update cycles of 2-3 years before users could get major new features.

All licenses are still perpetual

This is important: You can still go on using any license you purchase for as long as you like, no matter whether you extend your maintenance or not. Your ability to use the program will not expire.

The perpetual license now includes both minor updates and major upgrades

Now the license are still perpetual – you can go on using your purchased license for as many years as you like – but the maintenance now includes both minor updates and major upgrades for one year. This allows us to include major features in the minor updates instead of waiting until the next major version. After the first 12 months customers can extend their maintenance for another year for approximately 20% of the purchase price.

Lower upgrade cost

Under the old system upgrading to the next major version cost approximately 50% of the list price. Now if your maintenance is still running you get the next major version free of charge automatically. Or you can extend your maintenance for just 20% of the list price.

The new Floating licenses are no longer tied to your office / local network

Floating server licenses can now be used anywhere, not just on your local network. Our original Server license system was conceived before the onset of cloud computing. The licenses only worked if all users were on the same local network. In today's world, that no longer makes sense. Users work on the go, from home, in coffee shops and on planes. Our customers wanted floating licenses that they could use for both permanent and occasional users in any locations.

How the new Floating licenses work

Each user installs Help+Manual normally on their own computer. No more running Help+Manual via the network.

Your administrator registers all your floating licenses on one computer. This links all your license keys and establishes your license pool and the number of available license slots for your users.

You give the user a license key, which can be any key from the pool. You can also give all users the same key. That doesn't make any difference.

Each user enters their key once to register their computer as part of your license pool. A license slot is then checked out automatically while they are using Help+Manual and released as soon as they close the program. An Internet connection is required when using the floating licenses like this.

Offline use: If users need to work offline with a floating license they just need to "pin" the license before going offline. It then remains checked out until they unpin it and can be used offline for up to 8 days, after which it is released automatically.

See License Management for details.

Benefits of the new Floating license system

You no longer have to install Help+Manual on your own server. The license system is managed by our server, which only manages checking out the licenses.

Every user installs the program normally on their own computer, so you no longer have the problem of starting and running the program over network connections.

You can assign temporary licenses to occasional users for any purpose: contributing authors, translators, proofreaders and so on.

Floating licenses can be used anywhere in the world, even on planes provided they are checked out before takeoff.

Users in other locations no longer have to have a full Professional license to be able to work on version control projects. They can also use a floating license assigned to them temporarily while they are working on the project.