Date:         Thu, 23 Mar 2000 01:38:26 GMT
Reply-To:     Theo DP <theodp@AOL.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Theo DP <theodp@AOL.COM>
Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com
Subject:      Re: Any info on price structure for the upcoming SAS Linux?

>Subject: Re: Any info on price structure for the upcoming SAS Linux?
>From: "F a b r i z i o" Fabrizio1@usa.net
>Date: 3/22/00 3:10 AM Central Standard Time
>Message-id: <953716272.643455@ns0.klm.nl>
>
>T.S. Lim wrote ...
>>I can't find any mention about the pricing structure at SAS
>>website. Would it follow the regular yearly license fee?
>>It'd be great if SI changes their business model so that
>>individuals can afford SAS. Thanks for any pointer.
>
>
>Compared to any other company, SAS Institute Inc. is just
>arrogant. They do not publish pricing schemes, do not allow
>individuals to license their product, and they force you to
>pay a first-year license fee equal to some 3 year fees, such
>for each of the individual products like Base SAS, SAS/Graph,
>SAS/FSP, SAS/IML, SAS/Access to xxx, SAS/Access to yyy etc.
>
>They do not allow you to purchase a copy (without support)
>to run for years. The software disables itself every year,
>and you get a renewal key after you've paid the next term.
>
>They even forbid you to publish the amount you pay for SAS,
>or to discuss the fees with other parties or SAS users.
>
>Unless you take full site licenses, they do not want to
>negotiate on conditions and scale of SAS usage: Size of
>mainframes and unix boxes (irrespective of the capacity
>consumed through SAS) and the number of PC's where you
>install SAS on, are guidelines for SAS Institute to charge
>you a fee.
>
>This allows companies with multiple smaller mainframes and
>unix boxes to license the SAS System for one computer and
>process hundreds of jobs daily through SAS, at a fraction
>of the fee paid by smaller companies with one -but larger-
>mainframe or unix box.
>
>To be honest: As a mainframe site, I do not feel SAS is over-
>charging my company, but S.I. lacks flexibility in being a
>partner. Agreements met between my company and the local SAS
>branch offices are disabled or overruled by the regional
>headquarters. That's why I call them arrogant. Just my $0.02
>
>Brgds.; Fabrizio
>
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In their defense, you can get a comprehensive price list from your SAS
rep...try getting that from Oracle or other vendors, where the price you pay
could easily vary by a factor of 5 for the same thing...