I have a quick question. I see where new users will be getting a free upgrade to Studio'13 when it comes out if they buy it today. Do those of us who use these products religiously, refer them to others, and even secure sales of both Studio '09 and Storyline get this special deal as well? I realy believe these are exceptional products and would like to continue promoting their use.
Hi Ed! Just like always, folks who are current Platinum Membership Plan holders will be able to get the upgrade for free. Others who are current licensees of Articulate Studio '09 will receive special upgrade pricing (rather than paying the full price) if they choose to move to Studio '13 once it's released. I'd recommend connecting with your Articulate product specialist to talk about the pricing options available to you. If you're not sure who your product specialist is, let me know and I can help you get connected with the right person.
If I might.... Articulate is clearly offering the free upgrade to new purchasers in order to address the fear some may have and the resulting drop-off in purchases in advance of the new release. A reasonable and customer-centric marketing effort.
But for those of us that have already purchased and have been using the suite for a while, we need to remember the value we've already obtained through using the tools. We bought the tools to produce courses and have had quarters/years of doing so... and can continue to do so for years to come. There is solid value there and Articulate should not feel compelled to ignore that value we all recieved. Instead they offer a discounted upgrade path, and even offer the option of essentially pre-paying for the upgrade and receiving enhanced and personalized support for free. Fair by any standard IMHO.
Now if you purchased the day before the new offer.... well that's no fun for sure. Reach out to your rep and discuss. Who knows? But for the rest of us, I think the value equation works.
Thank you very much for the information. I will definitely follow your advice. Bob, thank you for your input as well. I completely understand the marketing side. However, my point was that there is a tremendous difference between those who just own a license and those who actively partner and promote the product. Articulate strikes me as a company that would reward those who do more than just use their products. I see that as a value on both sides of the equation.
Maybe it's just the timing of the new release that inspired you to bring this up. Understandable. But if your point is about rewarding product zealots that promote the product and inspire others to purchase, then perhaps that's a stand-alone topic you might suggest to the folks at Articulate.
Many companies have created "reccomend to a friend" programs that benefit everyone involded. It's not a bad idea at all. And my guess would be it may be easier to approach the topic that way rather than via the existing upgrade marketing campaign.
I get the feeling that given the very long delays and name changes - i.e. Studio 11, Studio 12, Studio 13 that doing this upgrade is not something that Articulate really wants to do and it is perhaps hoping that people just purchase StoryLine problem solved. Why not just bite the bullet and provide people an upgrade path to StoryLine? At this point, I'm kind of doubting the wisdom of having purchased a platinum support plan.
I get the feeling that given the very long delays and name changes - i.e. Studio 11, Studio 12, Studio 13 that doing this upgrade is not something that Articulate really wants to do and it is perhaps hoping that people just purchase StoryLine problem solved. Why not just bite the bullet and provide people an upgrade path to StoryLine? At this point, I'm kind of doubting the wisdom of having purchased a platinum support plan.
Hi, Roger:
That's not the vibe I get, but I understand the frustration. I imagine they are working out pesky kinks, sort of like we all have to when we build a big project.
Sure hope to hear something about Studio 14 features and timeline...but I know release dates won't be predicted or shared. Yes, I do think it will be called Studio 14 ;o)
The fact that it will still work with PPT as a plug-in is a plus for me, since I share PPT files with SMEs and then pull that content into courses easier than I could do with Storyline, or so I think. But--I now know that some have different Studio 09 licenses that allow for sharing the software with SMEs who are partnering to develop courses, though it is more expensive that way per license. It's the collaboration that I'm after, since the SMEs i work with are all over the country.
Is anyone doing that kind of collaboration in Storyline, or are you waiting for the Studio upgrade? Does Storyline have any licensing similar to this?
Sure hope to hear something about Studio 14 features and timeline...but I know release dates won't be predicted or shared. Yes, I do think it will be called Studio 14 ;o)
The fact that it will still work with PPT as a plug-in is a plus for me, since I share PPT files with SMEs and then pull that content into courses easier than I could do with Storyline, or so I think. But--I now know that some have different Studio 09 licenses that allow for sharing the software with SMEs who are partnering to develop courses, though it is more expensive that way per license. It's the collaboration that I'm after, since the SMEs i work with are all over the country.
Is anyone doing that kind of collaboration in Storyline, or are you waiting for the Studio upgrade? Does Storyline have any licensing similar to this?
I'm hanging out to see if saving to non-local drives etc is possible too, without upsetting studio's delicate sensibilities. We work in teams where multiple members have licenses, and develop their own work, but we often need to review or publish or make changes on behalf of other people and it drives us CRAZY some days having to work across shared drives.
I'd also like to see the issues with captivate and office (particularly smart art and image effects) solved. Does anyone know any more about whether these current bugs are being looked at? The new product overview looks exciting but doesn't mention fixes.
There is a decided lack of "buzz" about the new Studio suite lately.
If I were a betting man, that would lead me to thinking that it may have shifted once again to a later release rather than sooner... but that's pure speculation.
That is primarily why we use Storyline at the university (and of course the HTML5 publishing ability). We want to be able to collaborate using a shared drive. The PowerPoint like interface of Storyline has made the learning curve far less than using something like Captivate. I use Studio '09 for my small business and having to ftp and then re-download and edit has never been ideal for use either. These are good points, and I hope they are addressed in the new release.
@Bob S - I think it's a calm before the storm, Bob Fantastic stuff happening - stuff beta testers can't talk about.
@Mereki - Have you tried a folder synchronization utility? Something like Dropbox or Sugarsync? Best of both worlds. Still get to work locally but all work is shared to anyone connected to the shared folder. I use Dropbox for all of my stuff. It's a lifesaver.
30 Replies
Hi Ed! Just like always, folks who are current Platinum Membership Plan holders will be able to get the upgrade for free. Others who are current licensees of Articulate Studio '09 will receive special upgrade pricing (rather than paying the full price) if they choose to move to Studio '13 once it's released. I'd recommend connecting with your Articulate product specialist to talk about the pricing options available to you. If you're not sure who your product specialist is, let me know and I can help you get connected with the right person.
Ed,
If I might.... Articulate is clearly offering the free upgrade to new purchasers in order to address the fear some may have and the resulting drop-off in purchases in advance of the new release. A reasonable and customer-centric marketing effort.
But for those of us that have already purchased and have been using the suite for a while, we need to remember the value we've already obtained through using the tools. We bought the tools to produce courses and have had quarters/years of doing so... and can continue to do so for years to come. There is solid value there and Articulate should not feel compelled to ignore that value we all recieved. Instead they offer a discounted upgrade path, and even offer the option of essentially pre-paying for the upgrade and receiving enhanced and personalized support for free. Fair by any standard IMHO.
Now if you purchased the day before the new offer.... well that's no fun for sure. Reach out to your rep and discuss. Who knows? But for the rest of us, I think the value equation works.
Bob
Jeanette,
Thank you very much for the information. I will definitely follow your advice. Bob, thank you for your input as well. I completely understand the marketing side. However, my point was that there is a tremendous difference between those who just own a license and those who actively partner and promote the product. Articulate strikes me as a company that would reward those who do more than just use their products. I see that as a value on both sides of the equation.
Ed
Hi Ed,
Maybe it's just the timing of the new release that inspired you to bring this up. Understandable. But if your point is about rewarding product zealots that promote the product and inspire others to purchase, then perhaps that's a stand-alone topic you might suggest to the folks at Articulate.
Many companies have created "reccomend to a friend" programs that benefit everyone involded. It's not a bad idea at all. And my guess would be it may be easier to approach the topic that way rather than via the existing upgrade marketing campaign.
Hope this helps,
Bob
When will studio 13 be released? It is free to those who purchased Platinum support when they purchased the Studio 9 package, right?
Roger
Roger - see Jeanette's post of November 2nd.
Articulate release dates are never openly advertised before it happens, (even to Beta-testers!)
Bruce
Can you please provide a link to that blog. I've scrolled through her blogs but can't find it.
Roger
6 posts above the one you just made, in this thread.
Bruce
whoops - I see that the post is in this thread. Since it's called Studio 13, I'll assume its going to happen withing the next 10 months.
Roger
One would hope, Roger. However it might be worth noting that it used to be called Studio '12.
When will Studio'13 be released?
Amanda: We are not sure at this point. My guess would be late summer/fall. We are all waiting anxiously. It should be good.
Any word on when beta testers might see a copy of Studio 13?
Can I volunteer to be a beta tester?!
I get the feeling that given the very long delays and name changes - i.e. Studio 11, Studio 12, Studio 13 that doing this upgrade is not something that Articulate really wants to do and it is perhaps hoping that people just purchase StoryLine problem solved. Why not just bite the bullet and provide people an upgrade path to StoryLine? At this point, I'm kind of doubting the wisdom of having purchased a platinum support plan.
Hi, Roger:
That's not the vibe I get, but I understand the frustration. I imagine they are working out pesky kinks, sort of like we all have to when we build a big project.
@Roger - absolutely not the case.
2 completely different products, for 2 completely different sets of users.
One shared architecture and vision.
Hard to pull off well - it takes time.
Bruce
Sure hope to hear something about Studio 14 features and timeline...but I know release dates won't be predicted or shared. Yes, I do think it will be called Studio 14 ;o)
The fact that it will still work with PPT as a plug-in is a plus for me, since I share PPT files with SMEs and then pull that content into courses easier than I could do with Storyline, or so I think. But--I now know that some have different Studio 09 licenses that allow for sharing the software with SMEs who are partnering to develop courses, though it is more expensive that way per license. It's the collaboration that I'm after, since the SMEs i work with are all over the country.
Is anyone doing that kind of collaboration in Storyline, or are you waiting for the Studio upgrade? Does Storyline have any licensing similar to this?
I'm hanging out to see if saving to non-local drives etc is possible too, without upsetting studio's delicate sensibilities. We work in teams where multiple members have licenses, and develop their own work, but we often need to review or publish or make changes on behalf of other people and it drives us CRAZY some days having to work across shared drives.
I'd also like to see the issues with captivate and office (particularly smart art and image effects) solved. Does anyone know any more about whether these current bugs are being looked at? The new product overview looks exciting but doesn't mention fixes.
There is a decided lack of "buzz" about the new Studio suite lately.
If I were a betting man, that would lead me to thinking that it may have shifted once again to a later release rather than sooner... but that's pure speculation.
Mereki,
That is primarily why we use Storyline at the university (and of course the HTML5 publishing ability). We want to be able to collaborate using a shared drive. The PowerPoint like interface of Storyline has made the learning curve far less than using something like Captivate. I use Studio '09 for my small business and having to ftp and then re-download and edit has never been ideal for use either. These are good points, and I hope they are addressed in the new release.
Thanks,
Ed
@Bob S - I think it's a calm before the storm, Bob
Fantastic stuff happening - stuff beta testers can't talk about.
@Mereki - Have you tried a folder synchronization utility? Something like Dropbox or Sugarsync? Best of both worlds. Still get to work locally but all work is shared to anyone connected to the shared folder. I use Dropbox for all of my stuff. It's a lifesaver.
Steve, I would never be happier to be wrong.
Here's to hoping you are spot-on on this one!
+1 to Steve's comments....
My business basically runs on DropBox.
I see a storm a comin' ....
Bruce
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