The first Master Candidate (MC1) of 4D v12 has been released to Partners for testing, meaning that the official release of 4D v12 is just around the corner. When 4D v12 is on the market in late May, 4D 2004 – being at the end of its lifecycle – will no longer be sold and, soon thereafter, not supported.

You can continue using 4D 2004 for as long as you wish, of course, but we're presenting the scenarios below to provide you with our best advice depending on your particular situation with regards to the end of the lifecycle.

1 - I must keep using 4D 2004

If you're bound to continue using 4D 2004, you should anticipate how many expansions and deployment licenses you will need for 4D 2004 in the future.

Note that you will have to stock up on these 4D 2004 licenses before 4D v12 is officially released, as they will no longer be sold then.

To continue using 4D 2004 in the future, purchase your expansion licenses now!

2 - I want to upgrade to 4D v11 SQL

With two years of development and updates since its initial release, 4D Server v11 SQL is a mature product, so it's ideal for your critical apps that will need continued sales and support.

We've already created support materials that will help ease your migration to 4D v11 SQL. Furthermore, we've been providing special upgrade pricing from 4D 2004. But...

The special pricing offered on 4D v11 SQL Upgrades + Maintenance will be stopped on the 4D v12 release date.  

So upgrade to 4D v11 SQL + Maintenance and save money right away.

3 - I want to move to 4D v12 as soon as it's available

You may have tried 4D v12 in beta and seen how smoothly it works and how evolved it is. You're convinced it's the right version for you. 4D v12 isn't available for purchase yet, but don't wait for it to make the best possible deal. The special pricing offered on 4D v11 SQL Upgrades + Maintenance will be stopped on the 4D v12 release date. 

If you wait until after 4D v12 is released, you will pay significantly more for your upgrades*.

By purchasing an upgrade to 4D v11 SQL + Maintenance you can continue using your existing 4D 2004 licenses, then move to 4D v12 as soon as it's out. You don't even need to use 4D v11 SQL, and upgrading via Maintenance will still be cheaper than simply waiting for an upgrade to 4D v12 to be available! (See calculations below.)

Learn more about the 4D Maintenance Program now, or better yet contact your 4D representative to calculate the savings and discuss any applicable discounts for your particular situation!

 *Example pricing scenarios are as follow:

Let's look at a simple example using 4D Server Standard Edition 2004, without any expansions, etc.

Scenario A: Moving to 4D v12

Upgrading from 4D Server Standard Edition 2004 to 4D Server v12 will cost £610. Add a year of Maintenance (£180) and the total to move to v12 and have the protection of Maintenance = £790

By upgrading from 4D Server 2004 to 4D Server v11 SQL + Maintenance, you would pay £555, a saving of 30%

The cost of upgrading to 4D Server v11 SQL + Maintenance (which includes 4D Server v12) is 10% less than the price of upgrading 4D Server 2004 to 4D v12, without Maintenance!

Scenario B: Planning for 4D v13

Looking well into the future, we can estimate that 4D v13 will be released within two Maintenance renewal cycles (starting from now) based on an 18-month median lifecycle. So let's look at an expanded timeline of the costs of upgrading to 4D v13 in the future.

By upgrading to 4D Server v11 SQL + Maintenance (£555) and buying an additional year of Maintenance (£180), you would guarantee being able to get everything from now up until 4D v13 for a total cost of £735

If you purchase a simple 4D Server v12 upgrade when it's released (£610), and then buy two years of Maintenance to keep you on the path to 4D v13 (2x £180), the total cost will be £970 – you'd be paying an additional 32%

Finally, if you don't plan ahead and end up purchasing the 4D v12 upgrade (£610) and then the 4D v13 upgrade (£465), you can expect to pay a total of £1075, or a premium of 45% over the price of using the Maintenance program.