HostBill Modules Subscription

[sameer]

http://hostbillapp.com/hostbill-subscription/

HostBill users with active subscription have access to modules, orderpages, clientarea themes and plugins at discounted rates – up to 70% discount for just $75/year!

Has any one subscribed?

[Danny]

Today, this is no more available ...

[nibb]

So a module costs 99$ but all of them cost 75$? How ridiculous.


Also, whats up with the Enterprise version. Does this mean all other versions are slower and more insecure. Because that is what its advertised there:


"It makes use of its performance to make HostBill runs faster, with installation optimized to run under CentOS 6.4 x86_64, with improved security on system level, faster page renders and orders/invoices/support processing. Server-side software configuration is fine-tuned for performance, and having separate server for billing allows Enterprise version to:"

I though all customers and versions where VIP, but it seems most versions are slower on purpose and more insecure, and then he sells an optimized one? How immoral. All versions should be the best you can get, even if they are expensive to buy.

Their model of selling addons can work, because I don´t think everyone needs everything. It would never make sense someone that needs all modules, im sure about that, most just need a couple of them, and if they ever need more they can buy them but their core on initial purchase should at least include 2 or 3, maybe let the customer choose which.

Also, do they plan to add any new features to the software itself? I mean the core, not via modules, because if yes, they should charge a small 50$ or 75$ yearly fee for that, they can´t charge much because they give no support or customer care what so ever with the software, but they cannot possible run a business without recurring fees, and most companies can do this with selling support, but their support must be top notch which we know is not the case, its bad and expensive, so I don´t think they are going to have good luck selling support plans.

It seems Hostbill is again testing waters because they need money, I wonder how long they are going to kill their only feature they advertise so much "No recurring fees" because it has no support, and no nothing. I also don´t think they could ever go with a leased or recurring model because in the EU or US when you sell a service, this means lease, or recurring fee, you are entitles by law to give support and customer care with that, and I think this is was exactly the reason why they dropped their leased licenses in the first place, because they did not wanted to give support with that.

So what ever subscription they are planning they need to think 2 things. Why would anyone buy their modules after if if they can get all of them? And second, they would need to provide support with any subscription services, that will kill them because they want to avoid any possible contact with customers what so ever.

If I was them, I would just remove the enterprise version. Make all versions enterprise and the best version available. With new licenses let customers select 3 modules, if they need more eventually they can buy them. Then add a small upgrade fee per year for the core, so we can keep new features coming, (upgrade fee cannot be allot because it comes with nothing, no support...)

With this they are going to have 3 models:

1. Sell owned software for an expensive initial price (big money in)
2. Have allot of recurring fees per year for core upgrades (recurring fees) they need of course allot of active customers to make money out of it.
3. Keep big money coming in from current customers that buy modules from time to time if they need extra things
4. Sell support and plans (with their current services, I don´t think this is working for them)

So let me see how this would work as a customer:

1. Nice software, expensive, but I own it if I buy it.
2. I can buy more things in the future if I want
3. If I grow big I can maybe afford to pay them support
4. Upgrade fee per year is small

So this attracts both small and big players. Big players can buy everything if they want, including their expensive horrible support, not sure what company no mater how big would like to waste their money but still its an option

And it would also attract small players, because what small customers cannot do is commit to expensive recurring fees. So they would pay once and then own the software.

Of course all this is just a waste of time because they keep changing licenses, models and prices, more times of what I log in into this forums.

[jeffrey404]

We subscribed. We have been doing a lot of work with Kris and Hostbill with getting modules and changes made to the HB system.

[nibb]

You subscribed for 75$ a year and get all modules for free? I feel scammed, I was just recently charged 99$ for a single module.

Where can I also get all modules for less than 7$ a month? What if I just subscribe one month, get all modules and then cancel my subscription?

Please let me know since I was going to also buy another module, and why in the world would I pay more than 100$ per module if I can get all of them for a few cents. Also, how exactly is a subscription not a recurring fee? Since that is advertised all over his websites, no recurring fees, and a subscription is exactly that.

[jeffrey404]

Nibb,

Not sure where you are getting them for free or a few cents. For us, and the modules we need and may need, I $75/yr subscription to get $100-200 off the module is a no brainer for us. We bought hostbill before he split all the modules up, so we do have all the ones included before the 4.6.8 release. We have been purchasing a lot of the other modules being made (and having some custom made by Kris as well). We have no problems paying for this product seeing all the use we get out of it.

[nibb]

Of course its a no brainier and this is why I asked you where did you subscribed for 75$ a year to get all modules?

Why in the world would everyone else pay 100$ per module or 500$ for the software if they can get everything for 75$?

You said you subscribed, where? If Hostbill is having financial problems with their current model then for 75$ they will broke in weeks because that is less than 7$ income per month per customer. A customer buying a single, just one module would mean more profit per year than that model.

If you happen to buy just 1 module a year, and it costs between 100$ and 200$ that is way more money for them than someone paying 75$ a year and not a dime more to get everything. It does not make sense, they would lose even more money and make even less income than their current price model and we all know in this forum that Kris and Hostbill is desperate to squeeze every dime they can from their customers so I don´t understand where did you get that subscription since everyone else here paid allot more and if that is the way he is going to go he better just give it away for free.

[jeffrey404]

Nibb,

The subscription doesnt get you anything. It just gives you a discount on purchasing modules, etc. You still have to pay for the modules as well.

[nibb]

Where exactly do you see this information? I though it was pulled off.

How much discount and how do we sign up? I´m really wondering about this, in particular because last time I checked module prices where not public, you had to request a quote.

[jeffrey404]

Nibb,

We got in for the beta of it. It is not listed on the site now. Also module prices are listed now. Typical discount is 50%.