Latest available (from my cache):

https://downloads.safe.com/fme/beta/fme-desktop-2023.0-b23245-win-x64-beta.exe

Thank you for the feedback. I have this version, but normely beta 2023 is always online.

I have a feeling they might pull Betas as it gets closer to the release.....

@mark2atsafe​  - is my feeling correct?

I would expect it to be more like a release candidate than a beta by now, so that's my guess as well.

Sort of. You might be aware that we're doing a corporate rebrand, and this includes FME itself. So we've pulled the beta page so that nothing gets leaked. But as David says, we're very close to a release candidate, so the betas would have been frozen very soon anyway. I'm not quite sure of the exact timeline, but the above webinar might even be the release date anyway.

Hi Tom. Just in case you don't see my comment below, we've just suspended the betas while we carry out a rebrand on them. Annoying, I realize, but the final release is hopefully less than a month away. If you want to ask whether a specific item of functionality is included, then let me know, and I can check on that for you.

@mark2atsafe Thank you for the information. I'm not looking for a spezial feature. I only like the beta-Version ...

Hi;

I had FME(R) 2023.0.0.0 (20230227 - Build 23245 - WIN64) beta installed.

Today I installed the fme-form-2023.0-b23275-win-x64-beta version, but the license for that version was not found, that is, it is not the same as the previous beta version. Is FME form the new name for FME desktop or have I confused things? I have a permanent license for FME Professional Edition.

Thanks;

FME Form is indeed the new name for FME Desktop (all editions). Can you try registering again with your serial number?

FME Form is indeed the new name for FME Desktop, effective FME:23 (notice the nomenclature). The licensing has also changed somewhat, and it does sound about right that your "old" license doesn't work with FME:23. According to my sources, permanent licenses for pre-23 will not work with FME:23.

For now, you will probably have to contact your FME reseller for a license that can be used with FME:23.

I've just installed the beta and only had to re-activate using my serial number

Download link for FME:23 Form seems to be ok, but the FME:23 Flow is corrupt (https://downloads.safe.com/fme/beta/fme-server-2023.0-b23275-win-x64-beta.exe) also tried https://downloads.safe.com/fme/beta/fme-flow-2023.0-b23275-win-x64-beta.exe

I tried to activate the Fixed License - Serial Number and the activation was successful, however I received a Trial License (30 days).

Did you also get a trial?

No, I got my permanent license 😮

As I understand it, you need an active maintenance agreement (AMC) in order to be able to use a newer version of FME than you originally purchased. I believe that's always been the case.

So, if you have a current AMC, you should - as Hans at Red Geographics suggested - be able to go into the Licensing Assistant tool and re-activate using your serial number. In fact, you might not even need to enter your serial number if an earlier FME is installed already.

If you don't have an AMC, then you will find that any license for FME:23 is only temporary.

I'm 95% sure that this is the problem occurring here. If not, then please do let us know by filing a case with the support team (safe.com/support).

OK, I checked, and right now, we haven't made any changes (yet), so it's hard to figure out what the problem might be. Hopefully, the trial license will keep you going for a while. But please do reach out to support if permanent licensing becomes an issue.

Regards

Mark

licencing changed somewhat?!? I am hearing rumors of an extreme price jump, the fact that https://fme.safe.com/pricing/ does not mention any numbers whatsover has me worried sick.

Well, there's the technical licensing system, and then there's the licensing price model ;-)

I won't divulge anything too specific as I'm not sure if it's official information yet, but existing users should not have to worry as I understand they will not be not concerned by the pricing changes. New acquisitions may indeed be more expensive, but it will come with some major benefits as well, including that the licensing model will be much more intuitive and flexible, in my opinion. You should contact your FME reseller if you need more details, they should be able to give you more specific details.

On the contrary, for existing users, you gain quite a bit because editions will merge upwards in FME:23. In old terminology, you'll get an upgrade from FME Professional (or whatever) to FME Smallworld and gain all of the database formats, at no extra cost and no extra maintenance.

Besides that, no, prices haven't changed. As David says, if you are concerned, talk to your sales contact and I'm sure they can clear it up for you.

I hope this helps.

Hi;

The problem was not in the new version, nor in the beta, nor in the licensing change, the problem was in me. My current license was not active for the new version. Thank you all for your efforts and answers and sorry for wasting your time.

Thank you!

May be more expensive? FIVE TIMES more expensive. Five times. Yearly maintenance also increases massively. I can not properly express my anger about the price hike and about the complete lack of communication by safe and our Dutch distributor (Vicrea). I am absolutely fuming.

I just can not understand any of this. We don't need the database options. The costs are going up MASSIVELY for us. Also: maintenance is a fixxed percentage, so it DOES go up aswell, and not by a little. Why do you communicate a message that is so clearly wrong.

Also: not mentioning prices on your pricing page shows that you know it. Taxes is no excuses, it wasn't an excuse before.

Yearly maintenance costs for existing licenses will not change, according to what I've heard. All your current licenses under maintenance will be automatically upgraded to Smallworld-Edition at no further cost.

However, I can agree that the communication on this matter could've been much clearer to the end users.

Why? Why do you say this? Why do safers keep saying this on social media while it is cleary so very, very, very wrong.

FME now starts at 9500 euros here, it used to be 2000. Almost 5 times as much!!!!!!

Please let me try to clarify matters because we want happy customers, not annoyed ones, and I think that some changes, like the pricing page, have been misinterpreted.

I'm a technical person, not a salesperson, but I will be as clear as I possibly can, and take it step by step. Know that most of this information comes from the very top of Safe.

Let's start with this: Safe as a company is growing. The rebranding and product realignment is to help us access larger markets. It is not a way to squeeze money out of AMC or existing customers. We don't need to do that, and it wouldn't help us to do that. Again, this comes from the very top at Safe.

If you have existing FME licenses, AMC will not increase. I repeat, AMC will not increase for your existing licenses. I cannot be any clearer. Existing licenses can only benefit from this; extra functionality will be available, whether you use it or not.

In short, we restructured how FME is sold, but made sure existing licenses are unaffected.

But what about that restructuring? Well, we merged all FME editions, so the cheaper Professional and Esri editions are now discontinued. But if you already had plans to purchase more of those licenses, then talk to our salespersons. "The restaurant model still stands." Once more, that's from the very top at Safe. We've always been very flexible in helping small businesses afford our licenses. I am 100% sure that we will help our existing customers navigate these changes. Seriously, talk to the sales folk. Tell them what you were planning, and they will do their best to help.

OK, on to the pricing page. A lack of prices does not mean there is or has been an increase of any sort. Taxes and localization are an increasing problem, but if you want me to go out on a limb and give you my personal opinion, here it is: Safe is targeting enterprise-level customers, and enterprise-level software isn't sold the same way. I'm looking for a new platform for the community, and none of the better ones show a fixed price, and I don't expect them to.

In short, it's part of a strategy to position FME at a higher level, not to hide anything from our existing customers. All you have to do is talk to us.

So my number one piece of advice is don't panic! Call Safe. We're as committed to helping our customers as we ever have been. Obviously we haven't communicated these changes very well, else you wouldn't be as worried, and for that, I apologize. But I want to reassure you. Existing licenses will bear no extra costs, and I am sure we will help existing customers navigate new purchases in the near future.

We think FME is pretty great and is going places. We sincerely want our partners and customers to join us on that journey.