<html>
<head>
<meta content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"
http-equiv="Content-Type">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
<font face="Georgia">I for one applaud the decision. The Shrew
client is excellent software, it's not a small, one-trick-pony
app. The donationware model can work, but it tends to rely on
relentless reminders to donate, which can be as annoying as
advertising (though typically one *can* shut it up by doing the
right thing). I've donated to the Shrew project in the past, and
was happy to do so (I think I donated $25). But again, the problem
is that you either nag people or you don't make enough to cover
the nut.<br>
<br>
I would however encourage that pricing even for the paid version
be low. Why? When an application starts out as free, *and* then
offers a free version in addition to paid, the incentive is easily
obliterated by a price for the paid version that's dramatically
higher than free. Yeah, I know, even a penny is dramatically
higher than free! But let me put it this way: at my current day
job, we have an OpenVPN network (I still use Shrew with some of my
consulting clients). When I first started at this company, I tried
the standard OpenVPN client, and wasn't pleased. I didn't have
time to hassle with it, so I took a look around and found
Viscosity. It was easy, intuitive, and supported both Mac and PC.
But the best part was it's only $9 after a 30 day trial. With a
price that low, it was a no-brainer to management - easier to set
up new users, and so low that finance doesn't care at all. So the
result is that I've deployed many $9 copies of Viscosity, where if
it were a $45 application, management would have said 'just make
the free one work'. More sales in relative terms, much easier for
even non-commercial users to justify. <br>
<br>
Charge $45 for it, and every once in a while someone will buy it.
Charge $9, (or $12, or $16, whatever) and dozens of people a month
won't think twice about paying for it. You wind up with a steadier
stream of income, and larger income in the long haul. Those who
might only use the application on rare occasion will use the free
version. Folks who would use it a dozen times a week will happily
pay the cost.<br>
<br>
Just IMHO.<br>
<br>
<br>
</font>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 5/22/13 11:00 PM, Matthew Grooms
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote cite="mid:519DB078.7010005@shrew.net" type="cite">All,
<br>
<br>
As many of you know, Shrew Soft has been distributing a free IPsec
VPN Client for more than 6 years. What may not be common knowledge
is that during the first 2 years of development, I was able to
work on the VPN client full time. This work was entirely self
funded. As a result, we were able to release version 1.0.0 through
version 2.1.4. The software improved at a very rapid pace with a
total of 11 releases between Aug 2006 and Nov 2008. At that point
I was forced to take a full time job. Over the next 4 and a half
years, there have been 4 releases, the last of which took 2 and a
half years to produce. These days I have a full time job as well
as a part time job. In other words, the development pace has
slowed, an issue that directly correlates with the amount of free
time I have available.
<br>
<br>
There is no shortage of work to be done when it comes to improving
the the VPN Client. Unfortunately, developing and maintaining a
product of this nature that runs on commercial operating systems
is far from free. At one point we had advertisements and donation
links visible on the site. Unfortunately, the revenue generated
barely covered the cost of co-location. This left all cost related
to sanctioned Microsoft kernel driver certification, Microsoft
Developer Network subscriptions, upgrading Microsoft Development
tools and other software, Class 3 Code signing certificates,
hiring an outside contract developers to improve kernel drivers
and perform code audits, buying lab hardware and other equipment
... the list goes on. After weighing our options and turning down
an offer from an established VPN client vendor to acquire Shrew
Soft Inc, we concluded that the only way for the product to
survive was to produce a commercial version. This decision was
partially motivated by the fact that the offer wasn't very
attractive and partially by the fear that, if we were acquired,
our free product would be shelved to reduce competition with a
high cost commercial alternative. And as the sole investor in
Shrew Soft Inc, shouldering the continued operational cost was
quickly loosing its appeal. To continue offering a freeware
product, we also need to introduce a premium product that
generates a healthy revenue stream. By doing so, full time
development can resume. The overall product quality will improve
at a much faster pace and the cost of continued development and
operations will be offset.
<br>
<br>
Who will pay to use the VPN Client and who will use it for free?
After pondering this question for quite some time, we came to the
following conclusion: If you need remote access to connect to a
well funded corporate office, then you can probably afford to pay
a reasonable fee to use our VPN client software. If you require
need remote access to connect to your small home office or
business, then you can probably live with a free VPN client that
offers a moderately reduced feature set. Professional vs Standard.
Beginning with the next release, the Shrew Soft VPN client will be
available in two different editions.
<br>
<br>
What will be the difference? The Standard Edition will offer
feature parity with the 2.1.0 release. It will be free to use for
both personal commercial use. The Professional Edition will
include all the features available in the Standard Edition, as
well as additional features that would be useful for users
connecting to a corporate LAN. The first Professional release will
reintroduce support for Split DNS. It will also include the Shrew
Soft Security Credentials Provider for Windows 7 and Windows 8.
This feature will allow users to authenticate against a Microsoft
Windows AD/Domain via an IPsec VPN connection, directly from the
Windows login screen.
<br>
<br>
How do I obtain the Professional edition? Both editions of the
client software will distributed as a single download. You will be
prompted to select the preferred edition during the installation
procedure. If the Professional edition is selected, the product
will be installed in an evaluation mode with a 14 day trial limit.
If you decide you don't need the additional features provided by
the Professional edition, you can simply re-install the client and
select the Standard edition. License keys for the Professional
edition will be available for purchase at our online store.
<br>
<br>
How much will the Professional edition cost? We are still
finalizing our price model. But I can assure you, it will far less
expensive than other commercial solutions. This is partially due
to the fact that we won't be providing full support solutions. If
your curious how much a Universal IPsec VPN Client software
license is selling for these days, please visit one of the
following web sites ....
<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.thegreenbow.com/">http://www.thegreenbow.com/</a>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.ncp-e.com/">http://www.ncp-e.com/</a>
<br>
<br>
Thanks for your time,
<br>
<br>
-Matthew
<br>
_______________________________________________
<br>
vpn-help mailing list
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:vpn-help@lists.shrew.net">vpn-help@lists.shrew.net</a>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://lists.shrew.net/mailman/listinfo/vpn-help">https://lists.shrew.net/mailman/listinfo/vpn-help</a>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Paul Theodoropoulos
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.anastrophe.com">www.anastrophe.com</a></pre>
</body>
</html>