I just ran into Aware IM yesterday, it looks very interesting. I think I understand the licensing but...I'll just state what I think is true, someone correct me or confirm?
First, Aware IM creates web applications that run in a browser, to be deployed on an intranet or on the internet.
There is no licensing fee associated with users accessing a site built by Aware IM. That is, if I make a website that allows users to track their frisbee collections, I don't have to license the site differently if there are 5 user accounts created by 'the public', or 500.
When a Aware IM license says '5 users', these are users that are allowed into the 'builder' part of Aware IM.
The runtime aspect consists of two parts as far as licensing goes, one is the dev ver of Aware IM, the other is bundles of runtime licenses. The purpose of the runtime is that it allows me to distribute my application. I could generalize my frisbee collection software, and license it to people who might want to start their own websites using the software.
I suppose that users of the runtime might need to use some parts of the Aware IM builder tools, for instance reports...and I'm not sure how this fits in to the equation. Maybe a 'no license needed' user is one that can run a predefined report, and a 'license needed' user is one that can create or edits report definitions (for example)?
If my premis is wrong and a user is defined simply as a person that can access and use the website, then it starts to look kind of expensive.
We're very good coders, but what you've built looks very impressive. I'm hoping that the rules idiom does not crimp things too much...we're able to sql and code things to perfection now. I understand that Aware IM is at least partially aimed at non-devs, which is fine, but it would be interesting to hear how it fares with folks that are developers, does it allow the latitude needed to make things 'just right'?
Thanks
