PITTSBURGH -- Ansys today rolled out a new software licensing option that allows users to rent the company's engineering simulation tools by the hour.

Elastic Licensing provides hourly-based access to the breadth of Ansys's multiphysics platform in a single license. Elastic licensing enables customers to size their paid-up or lease license pool to their typical workload, but make adjustments for occasional users to meet peak demands.

“Our elastic licensing provides the flexibility for customers to use simulation in precisely the way that best fits their particular business,” said Ray Milhem, vice president of enterprise solutions and cloud. “Customers aren’t forced into any single option. Instead they have a wide array of choices across deployment and licensing options – enabling the broadest possible use of simulation. This is all part of our quest to make simulation available to every engineer.”

The new pay-per-use licensing option allows Ansys customers to access the company's full portfolio of simulation tools, and to gain access to tools during peak use times or for short-term projects.

The initial release will be made available through Ansys cloud-hosting partners Bull Atos Technologies, CPU 24/7, Gompute, Nimbix and Penguin Computing, and will be available later this year on the Ansys Enterprise Cloud, hosted on Amazon Web Services.

Through the cloud, customers will have unrestrained access to Ansys's multiphysics platform offering regardless of location, removing licensing constraints. Ansys will also offer the option for its on premise lease and paid-up licenses.