In today’s digital world it is more competitive every day. To get ahead of the curve, companies are looking for a means to expand their engineering capabilities such as electromechanical, human engineering, industrial design and styling, tooling and fixture design, or factory design. Many companies have a dedicated pool of NX licenses and are simply looking to add a couple of add-on modules for a few specific jobs but hesitate to buy them due to cost. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a pool of add-on licenses from which to pick and choose for those one-off jobs?  Now you can — through Siemens’ NX Product Engineering Token Licenses, also known as Value-Based Licensing.

Whether you manage or own a small, medium, or large company…token licensing can add flexibility and value to your product design capabilities and save you money. You can have access to a broader NX product portfolio without making a large investment.

What is NX Token-Based Licensing?

Token licensing provides a flexible and cost-effective method for you to run almost any NX Product Engineering add-on module including multiple translators. The token pool does not include products with royalty or programming authoring tools (NX Open Authoring). However, with more than 50 products in the pool from which to choose, you will have the flexibility to perform the engineering and design work necessary for your needs without having to make a separate purchase. Look at the wheel graph below to see a sample of the many available modules.

Token licensing is like “per-seat” floating licenses as both require you to check out a needed license, then check it in when you are done using it — making it available for access by a different user. The two options differ in that access to products in the per-seat floating license scenario is comprised solely of the products the company has purchased whereby token licensing allows access to every product in the token license pool. You have a greater set of products that can be easily accessed when you need them. No more infrequently used software sitting on a shelf.

How does NX Token-Based Licensing Work?

For starters, tokens are added to a base application such as: Mach 1 floating and above, or an NX Automotive Bundle, or a Daimler Supplier Bundle. Each NX application in the token pool consumes a defined number of tokens when in use. The total number of applications and which specific applications can be checked out (on top of the Base Application) is limited by the number of tokens the user has available.

Here is an example of how tokens work. Let’s consider a configuration of five Mach 1 floating seats (NX11001) and a 100 token value pack.

At 9 AM the token pool is full and ready for use.

At 9:30 a User 1 starts using NX Human Modeling… the Human Modeling app uses 26 tokens leaving a remainder of 76 tokens available for use.

Now at 9:45 AM, User 2 starts using NX Realize Shape. This app uses 35 tokens leaving a balance of 39 tokens available for use.

At 10:15 AM, User 1 finishes with Human Modeling and the tokens are returned to the pool leaving a balance of 65 tokens available, and ready for use.

Finally, at 10:30 AM, User 4 starts Routing Base, and… well you get the picture…!!!

We can help you size the pool and get the best configuration to suit your needs. You will need to consider the number of users accessing the pool and the “daily use” NX products versus “occasional use” NX products. Tokens are best used for “occasional use” products, so if you have a product that you rely on daily, it may be better as a floating add-on. Token pools are most cost-effective when there is a wide variety of NX applications needed.  In general, if four or more add-ons are needed then token-based licensing is an attractive option. You can mix tokens and floating add-on licenses to give you the most flexibility at a good price.  For example, if you have someone who uses a particular floating add-on license every day and another person who uses it on occasion, it might be best to purchase one floating add-on for the every day user and a value pack of tokens for the occasional user.

NX token based licensing offers numerous advantages:

• More than 50 apps currently in the pool and growing
• As new modules are added to the pool, you will be able to use them without additional effort from your internal purchasing team.

Extreme flexibility

• Run the add-on module you need, when you need it
• Run occasionally needed products without having to make a separate purchase

Useful for a variety of users

• Electromechanical, Industrial Designers and Styling, Mechanical Designers, Tooling and Fixture Designers, Translators, etc.

Cost effective

• Access to individual add-on licenses for all the products in the NX Product Engineering token pool would be cost prohibitive.

If your business can benefit from a broader NX portfolio without having to make a large investment — Token-Based Licensing is for you.

Tata Technologies is a Siemens Platinum Smart Expert Partner indicating our validated expertise in NX-CAD.