Across many industries, from architecture and construction to structural engineering, mechanical design and manufacturing, 2D drawings remain an important part of design, project implementation and technical data exchange. However, as the number of CAD users grows, businesses also need to consider software licensing costs and license management.
When selecting CAD software, functionality and DWG compatibility are not the only factors to consider. The licensing model is equally important, especially for small and medium-sized businesses where software costs can have a significant impact on the IT budget. The key questions are no longer simply “Which CAD software should the company use?” or “How many people need CAD?”, but also “How can the company minimize CAD software costs while still meeting its actual operational requirements?” Professional consultation can therefore help businesses select the most appropriate ZWCAD solution and licensing model based on team size and actual usage.
Many customers already know ZWCAD as a cost-effective CAD solution from ZWSOFT. However, not every user is familiar with Network License – a licensing model that allows multiple users on the same TCP/IP network to share access to a pool of ZWCAD licenses managed centrally from a server. This gives businesses greater flexibility in software deployment while improving license utilization.
What is a ZWCAD Network License?
ZWCAD provides two common licensing options:
- Standalone License: A Standalone License allows a single user to use ZWCAD software on one machine at a time, making it suitable for individual users or dedicated workstations.
- Network License: A Network License allows multiple users on the same TCP/IP network to share access to licenses. The Network License Manager (NLM), installed on a server, controls the distribution of licenses to users.
Benefits of ZWCAD Network License
- Share a pool of licenses among multiple users to improve software utilization and reduce licensing costs.
- Centralize license management through the Network License Manager installed on the server.
- Use the license borrowing feature when users need to work offline or away from the company network.
- Easily add more licenses as the engineering team and software requirements grow.
With a Network License, licenses are not permanently assigned to individual computers. Instead, users obtain a floating license from the shared license pool when they launch ZWCAD. The number of users working with ZWCAD at the same time is limited by the number of available licenses. This concurrent-use model helps businesses improve license utilization while ensuring that engineers can access ZWCAD when required.
For example, a construction company may have 20 architects, but only around 10 of them need to use ZWCAD at the same time. Instead of purchasing 20 licenses, the company could consider purchasing 10 Network Licenses while installing ZWCAD on all 20 computers. When a user starts ZWCAD, the workstation requests an available floating license from the License Server. When the user exits the software and releases the license, it becomes available for another user.
Suitable for small and medium-sized businesses
In construction companies, CAD usage often varies between departments and across different project stages. Architects may use CAD for floor plans and architectural detailing, structural engineers work with structural drawings, and MEP engineers develop electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems, while project teams or field engineers may only require CAD access at certain times.
With Network License, different departments can share the same pool of ZWCAD licenses within the company network. This enables businesses to allocate software access more flexibly according to actual usage and is particularly suitable for organizations with many engineers who do not need to use ZWCAD simultaneously.
In addition to architecture and construction, this licensing model is also suitable for mechanical engineering, manufacturing, electrical and electronics companies, and other technical industries that rely on 2D CAD drawings.
Contact Vietbay today for a free consultation from our team of specialists.
