| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | The pricing policy of SDL Trados – a huge fake? Thread poster: Andrzej Lejman
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Andrzej Lejman 
Poland
Local time: 03:25
Member (2004)
German to Polish
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Last year I bought SDL Trados 2006 for some € 600, which included a one year proz.com membership. Two weeks ago, following a Trados campaign, I bought the 2007 upgrade, thus proudly saving € 10.
However, recently I was told by a trustworthy person that Trados is also available for as little as € 100. I checked this and what emerged? That in fact, there are promotional prices, valid for a couple of days or weeks, ranging from € 100 to 200.
If you think that I mea... See more Last year I bought SDL Trados 2006 for some € 600, which included a one year proz.com membership. Two weeks ago, following a Trados campaign, I bought the 2007 upgrade, thus proudly saving € 10.
However, recently I was told by a trustworthy person that Trados is also available for as little as € 100. I checked this and what emerged? That in fact, there are promotional prices, valid for a couple of days or weeks, ranging from € 100 to 200.
If you think that I mean an offer similar to those that we all get as spam – Office, Windows, Photoshop for 50 bucks – you’re wrong. The promotional offers are available on the official site of SDL Trados. Moreover, other costly software like Term Extract is offered for some 30% of the list price.
To be honest, I feel that somebody made a fool out of me. Companies often offer goods with discounts in the regular course of business - 10, 20, even 30%. But try to buy a new car, a TV set or Microsoft Windows for 10 - 15% of the regular price (the list price is + € 800, if I remember correctly). It doesn't happen.
Is the company in serious trouble and seeking every penny? Or, maybe more likely, this is the real and reasonable price?
Maybe we should refrain from buying Trados and switch to other, CAT tools? Free ones, even?
I would like to know your opinion.
Best regards
Andrzej ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tommaso Benzi
Dominican Republic
Local time: 21:25
English to Italian
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| what is the real thing? | Feb 28, 2007 |
I abandonded Trados a couple of years ago ( I owned Trados 6.5), and to be precise, when I discovered that I could achieve the same results with Wordfast, which started as a free tool and became commercial while keeping a strictly try before you buy policy. That is the real thing.
Now translators have the chance to choose the CAT that best suits their needs. Sometimes, of course, we are asked by a client/agency to use a particular software, but in general everyone of us has a preferred CA... See more I abandonded Trados a couple of years ago ( I owned Trados 6.5), and to be precise, when I discovered that I could achieve the same results with Wordfast, which started as a free tool and became commercial while keeping a strictly try before you buy policy. That is the real thing.
Now translators have the chance to choose the CAT that best suits their needs. Sometimes, of course, we are asked by a client/agency to use a particular software, but in general everyone of us has a preferred CAT.
I'm getting more and more interested in OmegaT: open source is the way, as we saw with Wikipedia, for instance. Proprietary software is not doomed, but now it really has to offer something that is worth all that money.
[Edited at 2007-02-28 11:29] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Milos Prudek
Czech Republic
Local time: 03:25
English to Czech
+ ...
Andrzej
The promotional offers are available on the official site of SDL Trados. Moreover, other costly software like Term Extract is offered for some 30% of the list price.
Where on the trados site did you find these prices?
| | | | Andrzej Lejman
Poland
Local time: 03:25
Member (2004)
German to Polish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Milos Prudek wrote:
Where on the trados site did you find these prices?
I'm not authorized to publish these links, but believe me, this is true.
Regards
Andrzej
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Jalapeno
Local time: 03:25
English to German
Andrzej Lejman wrote:
I'm not authorized to publish these links, but believe me, this is true.
What a thoroughly strange statement. Surely if the links are in the public domain, nobody can forbid you to "publish" them ...
By the way, are you sure that these prices are for the full version, not for an upgrade?
| | | | Andrzej Lejman
Poland
Local time: 03:25
Member (2004)
German to Polish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Nothing strange | Feb 28, 2007 |
Jalapeno wrote: What a thoroughly strange statement. Surely if the links are in the public domain, nobody can forbid you to "publish" them ... By the way, are you sure that these prices are for the full version, not for an upgrade?
The person who made those links available to me had also asked not to publish them.
And yes, full versions.
Strange is for me that discussion focuses on links and not on the crux of the matter.
Regards
Andrzej
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Jalapeno wrote:
[What a thoroughly strange statement. Surely if the links are in the public domain, nobody can forbid you to "publish" them ...
Can't or won't?
As Jalapeno says if they are in the public domain there's nothing stopping you.
If you don't want to that it is, of course, your prerogative.
And not at all strange that the discussion is currently focusing on the links - until we can establish the veracity of them for ourselves (now that it all seems top secret), there is nothing to discuss.
If the links are not in the public domain, it probably means the prices are limited to a specific group of purchasers, so again there wouldn't be much to discuss - except how we get into the "sacred inner circle" and qualify, of course.
Please clarify the reason for all the secrecy.
[Edited at 2007-02-28 13:47]
| | | | | Aren't they special offers for special customers? | Feb 28, 2007 |
Andrzej Lejman wrote: Milos Prudek wrote:
Where on the trados site did you find these prices? I'm not authorized to publish these links, but believe me, this is true. Regards Andrzej
Can you describe who could access those offers?
It could be that these are special offers for frelancers working for some translation companies. TRADOS might have a special deal with the translation company. The company buys a huge number of licences and, as part of the deal, TRADOS offers reduced prices to freelancers working for that agency.
It could also be a special agreement with some other software company (if you buy product XXX, you can buy TRADOS at reduced price).
If it's a special offer for a particular type of customer, you cannot really compare it with the normal price.
Daniel
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Jalapeno
Local time: 03:25
English to German
My point exactly, Lawyer-Linguist and dgmaga.
| | | | | Another point | Feb 28, 2007 |
Dear Andrzej,
Have you verified that such links are not more than Phishing to robber victims?
Regards
| | | | | Make the best of it | Feb 28, 2007 |
Andrzej Lejman wrote:
However, recently I was told by a trustworthy person that Trados is also available for as little as € 100. I checked this and what emerged? That in fact, there are promotional prices, valid for a couple of days or weeks, ranging from € 100 to 200.
If you think that I mean an offer similar to those that we all get as spam – Office, Windows, Photoshop for 50 bucks – you’re wrong. The promotional offers are available on the official site of SDL Trados. Moreover, other costly software like Term Extract is offered for some 30% of the list price.
Supposed that you were right, wouldn't it be a good idea to start a reseller business?
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http://www.sdl.com/asp/products/promotion.asp?PromotionID=162
Lots of cut-price SDL products on the list.
I received it on a regional mailing list without any instructions to keep quiet about it.
Almost tempted me, except that I wouldn't actually DO anything with it, as I work with DVX, largely for end clients (mainly solicitors), and my agency... See more http://www.sdl.com/asp/products/promotion.asp?PromotionID=162
Lots of cut-price SDL products on the list.
I received it on a regional mailing list without any instructions to keep quiet about it.
Almost tempted me, except that I wouldn't actually DO anything with it, as I work with DVX, largely for end clients (mainly solicitors), and my agency clients don't demand Trados.
(One or two have asked, but the demand is negligible for my type of work and my client base). ▲ Collapse
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Harry Bornemann wrote: Supposed that you were right, wouldn't it be a good idea to start a reseller business?
Good one
| | | | Francis MARC
Lithuania
Local time: 04:25
English to French
+ ...
| what about the Proz offers ? | Feb 28, 2007 |
If some can get Trados at such a low price, when ProZ runs periodically a purchasing campaign correlated with a ProZ membership, showing a "saving" for the buyers, one can wonder what is the amount of profit for ProZ for each sale (as ProZ is certainly considered as a good partner by Trados and should get that king of dicounted prices).
| | | | | Nice price now, but the next paid upgrade will come | Feb 28, 2007 |
Actually I can only smile when Trados keeps approaching me with yet another early bird offer for yet another splendid new version. I am into CAT tools since 1997. Back then, I bought Trados version 2 (there was only one version 2, no different editions back then), paying a "reduced rate" (it was group buying) which was more than twice the price of today's version 7 freelance edition.
Half a year later, I was approached by Trados with the friendly offer to _downgrade_ (yes, no typo)... See more Actually I can only smile when Trados keeps approaching me with yet another early bird offer for yet another splendid new version. I am into CAT tools since 1997. Back then, I bought Trados version 2 (there was only one version 2, no different editions back then), paying a "reduced rate" (it was group buying) which was more than twice the price of today's version 7 freelance edition.
Half a year later, I was approached by Trados with the friendly offer to _downgrade_ (yes, no typo) my overall edition to the then newly introduced freelance edition for the marvelous price of... can't remember, never mind. And that was only the beginning.
If I would have taken them up on every offer they sent me, I probably would have ended up spending a couple of thousands by now - for a tool that basically still does the same as 10 years ago, only being able to process just a couple of formats more.
Thank goodness, I have found out that other tools do the same job for less, without clients even noticing. With the tool I am using (the same as Victor), I only had to spend 100 € for a major upgrade, within 9 years. ▲ Collapse
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