CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
11 August 2009
Company News
Alibre Challenges CAD Industry to Beat $99 Price Offer
Alibre, Inc. announces an offer of professional grade 3D CAD software, including parts, assemblies, and 2D drafting, available to anyone for under $100.
For a limited time, anyone can get Alibre Design for $99 (regularly $999). Alibre Design is the core CAD component of Alibre's product offering, providing a complete parametric toolset for unlimited 3D part and assembly design and 2D drafting. Capable of creating complex mechanical designs with thousands of components, full assembly motion, automatic 2D drawing updates, and many other benefits, Alibre Design is similar to products such as SolidWorks, Inventor, and Pro/E. Tens of thousands of Alibre Design users in 50 countries and 15 languages use the software to design, verify, and virtually test their products.
With today's announcement consumers have the option of spending $99 for Alibre Design or a minimum of around $5000 for competitors' software. Paul Grayson, Chairman and CEO of Alibre, Inc., says, "Alibre has the unique ability to offer its professional engineering products at a fraction of the cost of the competition. But by lowering the price to $99, the offer is irrefutably the best in the history of 3D CAD. It's absolutely unheard of given the tools we're offering, without restrictions of any kind, and we expect a lot of people and businesses to take advantage. It's really that simple. We also know that our competition can't begin to come close to this, not even within a few thousand dollars."
Several 3D CAD vendors have recently launched initiatives that allow users access to a free or low cost version of their product, but all of these programs come with major drawbacks. For example, the SolidWorks Engineering Stimulus package, "offers a limited-term trial version of SolidWorks Student Design kit". The Autodesk Assistance Program offers "student licenses" and notes they are subject to the terms and conditions for student software found in the license agreement. Essentially these programs offer short-term, limited licenses and disallow you from using them for commercial purposes.
Alibre is not placing any restrictions whatsoever on the $99 priced Alibre Design. Buyers can expect:
- The full version of Alibre Design that they own forever
- No gimmicks or usage restrictions
- No time limits
- No crippled features
- No save restrictions
- No watermarks
- No restrictions of any kind, period
"This is the full blown deal. What this does is open up the market in a way that has never been attempted before. Tens of thousands of people are in the same boat right now: they need CAD software but can’t afford multi-thousand dollar software in this economy. Many companies have canceled or suspended purchases of new CAD seats to preserve their bottom lines. Manufacturing companies have been hit especially hard and thousands of talented engineers are out of work. Whatever the case, long story short is that people are not buying new seats of $5,000 plus CAD software. Not SolidWorks, not Inventor, not Pro/E or anyone else. Getting a full license for $99 completely changes the game for these people and completely changes the game for CAD vendors," continues Grayson. "The best part is people that take advantage of this offer can use this product to make money. And we want them to. That's the point."
Individuals and businesses can learn about the deal at http://www.alibre.com.
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