Who is affected by these changes?
Existing users with a current annual SELECT subscription or Virtuoso subscription, E365, OpenSELECT Access, ELS.
When do these changes take effect?
These license and subscription changes will take effect on January 1, 2026.
Why is Bentley Systems retiring ProStructures for AutoCAD/ProSteel for AutoCAD/ProConcrete for AutoCAD?
Bentley Systems is dedicated to delivering cutting-edge solutions that meet the evolving needs of our users. After careful evaluation, we have decided to retire these AutoCAD-based products to focus on more advanced, integrated solutions.
When will these products be retired?
The retirement process has been underway with the Expiring Support phase beginning January 1, 2025, during which, limited support is still being provided. Limited support refers to technical support for evaluating queries and, if applicable, providing workarounds.
Support Discontinued status will begin on January 1, 2026, when the products are removed from the Software Downloads Center.
Effective January 1st, 2026, the AutoCAD-based offerings will enter Support Discontinued status and will be officially deprecated. Product licensing will remain unchanged until this date, at which point:
What is the recommended Bentley alternative to these AutoCAD-based products?
We recommend upgrading to our ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete products.
|
AutoCAD-based Product |
Replacement Product |
|
ProStructures for AutoCAD |
ProStructures |
|
ProSteel for AutoCAD |
ProSteel |
|
ProConcrete for AutoCAD |
ProConcrete |
These replacement products provide advanced modeling and detailing capabilities, fully incorporating MicroStation's functionality without requiring a separate MicroStation license. Explore these applications here: https://www.bentley.com/software/prostructures/
What are the benefits of upgrading to the replacement products (ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete)?
Enhanced Features: The replacement products (ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete) offer a richer set of features, including the complete functionality of MicroStation, providing a more robust and versatile design environment.
Streamlined Workflow: You’ll benefit from more integrated tools that can help simplify and optimize your design processes.
How long will ProStructures for AutoCAD/ProSteel for AutoCAD/ProConcrete for AutoCAD be supported?
We will continue to provide support for ProStructures for AutoCAD/ProSteel for AutoCAD/ProConcrete for AutoCAD until January 1, 2026. During the expiring support phase from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2026, limited support will be available for technical queries.
Please be aware that once ProStructures for AutoCAD, ProSteel for AutoCAD, and ProConcrete for AutoCAD enter the Expiring Support phase of the lifecycle policy, there will be no further development updates or patches available.
When will the products stop working?
The products will continue to function with their current capabilities. The release of Update 2 in Q1 2024 for ProStructures for AutoCAD/ProSteel for AutoCAD/ProConcrete for AutoCAD was the final release. You may keep using the product throughout 2025. However, beginning January 1, 2026, concurrent use will be available while usage will be invoiced as ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete. All support for the retiring products will end after December 31, 2025.
What will happen during the Expiring Support phase (between January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2026)?
Existing users can continue using the application with limited support for technical queries and assistance with workarounds, if applicable. Users can discuss transitioning to Bentley’s ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete solutions with their Bentley Account Team or Bentley Support.
What happens after the Discontinued Support phase begins (January 1, 2026 onwards)?
Technical support will not be available, and the product will be removed from our Software Downloads Center.
We will no longer sell new ProStructures for AutoCAD, ProSteel for AutoCAD, or ProConcrete for AutoCAD licenses to users.
AutoCAD-based products usage will be rolled into ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete. This means that existing contracts will be updated to add ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete in place of AutoCAD-based offerings. This allows users with existing AutoCAD-based product entitlements to continue using it on in-progress projects.
SELECT users will be able to use both the AutoCAD-based product and the replacement product with concurrent licensing but will be invoiced for an equal number of ProSteel/ProConcrete/ProStructures licenses.
AutoCAD-based products usage, and entitlement rolls up to ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete:
What is the effective date for AutoCAD-based products usage and entitlement roll ups to ProSteel/ProConcrete/ProStructures?
AutoCAD-based products usage and entitlements will begin to get rolled into ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete as of Jan 1, 2026, as contract renewals begin in 2026.
How does this change impact existing contracts and license entitlements?
Effective Jan 1, 2026, all AutoCAD-based products term license and enterprise license usage will be allocated under ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete pricing. Users will be charged ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete license costs to use AutoCAD-based products after this date. This allows them to use AutoCAD-based products concurrently. If you are allocating licenses within your organization, ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete licenses will need to be selected.
Does this change impact configuration of ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete license usage alerts and default access?
Bentley's Subscription Entitlement Services (SES) allow you to set threshold limits to trigger warnings when you are about to overuse a license. However, following this change, you should reset the threshold limits for ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete licenses based on your entitlements, even if you had previously set the threshold limits for the individual legacy applications. If you do not reset your threshold limits, your engineers will not be notified when they are about to overuse the number of licenses you're entitled to or may not be able to use AutoCAD-based products.
For more information on how to update these threshold limits in the Subscription Entitlement Service (SES) Entitlement Management center, please visit this Communities page: How to enable and configure license alerting
We strongly advise account admins to reset these threshold limits before running AutoCAD based products as of this date.
Similarly, if you previously had Default Access set to deny access to all products except for a list of exceptions, your Administrator will need to change this in Entitlement Management to allow access to the ProSteel/ProConcrete/ProStructures.
Note that this change allows users to use both AutoCAD-based products and ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete on the same machine.
What should I expect to happen:
1. as an existing user with a current SELECT subscription?
Starting with contract renewals in Q1 2026 and occurring throughout the year, you will see ProStructures/ProSteel,ProConcrete added in your SELECT contracts. We will be rolling up usage of AutoCAD-based products into ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete. This will allow you to continue using AutoCAD-based products as well as provide you access to ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete. Account admins will need to assign ProStructures, ProSteel, and ProConcrete licenses to users as they may not see AutoCAD-based products anymore in the license entitlement options. However, with ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete entitlements, they will be able to run AutoCAD-based products without issue.
2. as an existing user with a current SELECT subscription, do I have any alternatives to having my licenses node-locked?
Yes, you can keep AutoCAD-based products in your subscription and continue using both ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete and AutoCAD-based products. You can also portfolio balance the licenses to other Bentley products.
3. as an existing user without a current SELECT subscription?
Your licenses will already be node-locked and will not change.
4. if I am using ProStructures for AutoCAD/ProSteel for AutoCAD/ProConcrete for AutoCAD under OpenSELECT access, E365, or ELS?
You will not be able to download new AutoCAD-based products from Software Downloads. You will be able to continue using AutoCAD-based products as well as ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete if you wish to do so. All AutoCAD-based products usage will be reported and invoiced as ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete. You can migrate to ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete and work with the Bentley team to assist in this transition.
Can I purchase more ProStructures for AutoCAD/ProSteel for AutoCAD/ProConcrete for AutoCAD after January 1, 2025?
Yes, you can purchase new licenses for ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete for AutoCAD until December 31, 2025.
Will there be assistance for transitioning to the replacement products (ProStructures/ProSteel/ProConcrete)?
Yes, Bentley has created a comprehensive migration plan to ensure a smooth transition. Our team will be available to provide support and guide you through each step of the migration process.
What steps should I take to ensure a smooth transition?
We highly encourage you to reach out to your Bentley Account Team or Bentley Support to explore the promotional upgrade entitlement.
Who can I contact if I have questions or concerns that are not covered in this FAQ?
You can connect with your Bentley Account Team, or our dedicated support team via the Bentley Support Portal if you have any questions or need further assistance.
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