Licenses

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The following information applies to On-Site licenses, except where On-Demand is explicitly noted. On-Site users choose to host Cerb on their own server; On-Demand users are hosted on our servers as part of a subscription plan (see the full breakdown).

Before deciding what you really need in terms of licensing, it's always recommended you install the free unlicensed version and set up a test environment beforehand. Make absolutely sure the software gets through the installer, from the pre-setup system checker all the way to your initial login. After you get a feel for the product, it's time to consider purchasing a license if it suits your business.

The version chart on our website. Subject to change (latest as of May 5, 2010).

A paid license does entitle you to Professional Support but otherwise there's no corporate or premium features waiting for you. If you don't think you need that level of access to our developers, there's only a couple of 5.x-specific questions you should ask yourself.

Contents

Seats

How many do we need?

Subject to change (latest as of May 5, 2010).

Seats are a new concept which refers to the number of workers simultaneously logged into the system at any given time (NOT the total number of workers in the Helpdesk). While the free unlicensed desk gives you a single seat to test things out, in actual production you'll probably need more. If you can get by with 3 seats, make sure you fill out the install survey for a free license. MORE THAN 3 however requires a paid license.

Now Cerb5's incremental pricing structure is tied in with seats and seats only -- there is no limit on how many customers can write in. Therefore to determine how "big" a license you would need, figure out how many internal workers would be using the system at it's peak.

For example, a large company with two shifts of 15 daytime employees and 10 nighttime employees would most likely need a maximum of 15 seats. However you might want to purchase an extra seat or two in case you need to move workers between shifts occasionally. Forcing another worker to log out to make room is not something you want to be doing often.

With On-Demand

Subject to change (latest as of May 5, 2010).

As you can see, the pricing model works a little differently with the On-Demand desks. Aside from your preferred URL, the only additional criteria to consider is how you want to pay the regular service fee. Pre-buying over longer stretches saves you a bit of money of course.

Beyond the warranty?

Subject to change (latest as of May 5, 2010).

Whether or not you opt for a license you are given full access to the software and all bug fixes. When the next feature update (major release) goes public, you have the option of buying in for another period of updates at a flat rate OR continue using your copy "as is". There are a couple of exceptions:

The update prices and timeframes are always listed on our website:

Subject to change (latest as of May 5, 2010).

To keep tabs on what kind of things we're adding, see the "What's new" release notes on the front page. JIRA, the forums, and the blog (in that order) are good for monitoring development activity in between major releases.

Free 3 Seat Commercial License (Survey)

If you're a small company who only requires a few seats to operate, this free license may be more than enough. To sign up for it, “register” your copy of the Helpdesk by filling out the survey at the end of the installation process. You can think of the license as a “gift” for not downloading the software anonymously, which gives us a way to stay in touch for product announcements. The only difference between this and purchasing a paid license is you do NOT get the free updates warranty -- meaning you would be required to pay for the next release no matter when it comes out.

The survey is very short, 5 or 6 questions max.

Inputting the license

No matter which license you decided to go with, the upload process is always the same. After you purchase an On-Site license OR sign up for the free 3 Seat Commercial license, we send you a key via our "Welcome" e-mail. The body of the e-mail will have a plain text key inside, copy and paste the relevant information in ‘helpdesk setup’ at the bottom of the ‘System’ tab.

That's it! Check and make sure you are no longer using the "unlicensed" (Evaluation Edition).

Frequently Asked Questions

New Installs

Yes, you can install and use the free unlicensed version right away and decide later if you want to purchase a paid license. But to be clear, technically there is one edition of Cerb and it's one download. To get the Commercial "edition" you are really just entering the license into your free Helpdesk. If you decide to buy in, you won’t lose any data, have to re-install anything or patch the code. When you enter the key we send you, the only thing that will happen is the seat cap will be increased.
The Helpdesk itself, even if it's unlicensed, never expires. The version you installed is yours for life, whether or not you have the free 3 Seat Commercial license. The one catch is updates are not free forever (see the next question).
Yes, no matter what version of Cerb you have or what license you are using. If you want to use any new features we add in the future, it will require you to update your copy of Cerb. Updating after the free "grace period" that comes with every purchase is where the costs come into play.
Subject to change (latest as of May 5, 2010).
When you would like to get the latest code, these options give you an additional series of updates past your new purchase date (not when you originally bought the software). This is a flat rate and the price is the same for everybody no matter how many seats you are licensed for.
Note this fee applies to feature updates and not maintenance releases -- bug fixes are always free whenever possible. That means you can safely wait for bigger releases, when features that interest you are introduced into the product, before re-buying in. You are NOT obligated to purchase any in-between revisions.
For all three "versions" bug fixes are free.
Unlicensed (evaluation edition): You are capped at one seat, feature updates (major releases) are free since you technically do not have a restricted license.
Free 3 Seat Commercial (survey): You are capped at three seats, feature updates (major releases) require you to purchase one of our update plans.
Paid license ($$$): You are capped at however many seats you purchased, feature updates (major releases) are free within the warranty period, after which you would need to purchase one of our update plans.
Most likely it's nothing your end, everyone who sends in the survey qualifies. The issue here is the license processing is not automated on our end -- all of the surveys are processed manually by the WGM staff (WebGroup Media is the creator of Cerb). Therefore depending on what time of day you installed the software, our California-based company may have finished their regular workday. Be patient, the license may come within the hour or show up by the next business day.
Your key will always show up by e-mail. If you don't get it within a reasonable amount of time, hop into Town Hall and we can resend it.
When you buy the product we are charging you directly for the number of active seats you have; we do not charge you for any specific features or to remove any restrictions beyond that. Because you were given a 3 Seat Commercial license already, you are only required to pay for any additional seats you need.
Thus free 3 Seat Commercial users would buy ONE single license for a total of 4, and the free unlicensed users, with 1 seat, would need to buy 3 singles respectively (1+3).
Yes. Once your per-seat costs exceed (or equal) the price of our Unlimited package, you will be granted an Unlimited license.
Subject to change (latest as of May 5, 2010).
However do NOT order the standalone option; simply purchase more singles from the shop until you make up the price difference. Our sales team always checks the numbers on every order, and if they determine you indeed qualify they'll send you an Unlimited license.
Yes, and at no additional cost. From the On-Site summary you’ll find a nice bullet point on the subject.
We like being fair and simple; the software is licensed to your entire company for use by a certain number of workers. We do not obnoxiously restrict you to specific e-mail addresses, URLs, IPs, or CPUs. You are permitted to run multiple copies for your own use.
Basically in a nutshell, we're allowing you to split your seats in half or some combination thereof (5/5, 3/7). Say your sales and support teams are forced to share an increasing number of contacts and tickets. Normally not a big deal, unless you’re in the type of business where each department has its own distinct clientele. To help cut down on confusion and unneeded overlap, you might want to consider moving one of the teams to their own separate Helpdesk.
"Duplicating" the Helpdesk at full seats capacity (10/10) is not permitted and you should purchase a second license.

Upgrading from 4.x

Previous pricing models were based on total number of workers, not seats, however they are equivalent when transferring your license to the new system. Your worker cap will be removed allowing you to create as many as you want from now on; your old cap (assuming you keep the same plan) will be applied to seats, restricting you instead to that number of concurrent logins. For example, if you had 10 workers in 4.x you could add a 100 workers in 5.x but still only 10 could be logged in at once.
Yes. You can download the latest build and upgrade your copy without it, but your seat cap will be set to 1. Order an upgrade from our website, or contact us first if you qualify for a free update (see next question).
Two possible answers actually. If you bought Cerb4 within a year of upgrading to Cerb5, the upgrade is free; your existing worker cap is transferred over into seats at no cost (even for unlimiteds). Don't forget you always have the option of buying additional seats, however you will be charged the regular prices. Because we're very close to releasing 5.0, if you bought 4.3.1 recently you would most likely fall into this category. Please e-mail or call us for a new key.
Subject to change (latest as of May 5, 2010).
If it's been over a year, then the discount rates apply as shown and you will be charged a lesser fee to convert your workers from the shop. Note you are not obligated to replace all of your workers with seats. If you want to downgrade from 10 workers to 5 seats, then that's all you pay for; your existing workers are not deleted as part of the process. Your only punishment is playing "musical chairs" with the remaining workers, as you try to figure out login times for each seat.
On-Demand always works differently when it comes to upgrades, there is no discount, and you would be "re-buying" your workers as seats at the regular monthly pricing. Unlimited accounts are also no longer available, so if you're in that camp you'll need to figure out exactly how many seats you need in 5.x . Remember you can always downgrade if you don't need as many seats; meaning even without a direct discount your operating costs may be less going forward.
Because there's no upgrade option on our website, if you're already signed up with us request an upgrade via e-mail or telephone.
Unfortunately no. You will have to buy in again at the regular rates just like a brand new user would.
Nope still there. Starting with Cerb5 there are no exclusive features and every Helpdesk has access to the same set of tools -- there is no "demo" mode restricting any of the plugins. The three in question specifically: Time Tracking, Opportunity Tracking, and Itemized Worker Permissions, are now available to everyone out of the box.

When to contact us first (instead of ordering through the shop)

"Fresh" licenses are always best purchased through our website. This includes brand new users joining the Cerb family for the first time, and old 2/3/4.x On-Sites converting into the new seats format (including unlimited to unlimited).

However it is a different story if you're interested in modifying an existing license. Because our shop is not well-suited for handling these situations try contacting us beforehand; in most cases we will make special arrangements on the side.

Are you ready?

When you've finally come to a decision on what you want to do, if applicable, find your old license details in 'helpdesk setup', 'System'; On-Demand users should also know their existing (or desired) Helpdesk URL: example.cerb4(5).com.

A Cerb4 license: The company, the e-mail address you used to file your order, and the serial number (key).

Then e-mail our support staff through the dedicated contact form, or speak to a sales person at +1 (714) 671-9090 .

"I'd like to discuss pricing or discount options."
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