SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – In a bold move, Altium is removing cost as a barrier for designers who want to evaluate and to use Altium Designer. Altium has reduced the cost of the perpetual license by about 75%, trimming the previous $12,000+ price tag, down to $3,995 in all markets. A 12-month subscription block is priced at $195 per month.

According to Rob Irwin, product marketing manager for Altium, the tool provides engineers a “holistic” approach that encourages designers to step outside of their traditional roles and think differently about the design and their role in the process.

According to Altium, the unified platform that focuses on PCB and FPGA design removes the need for multiple point tools. Designers and engineers can create a PCB, as well as software and programmable hardware, in an integrated application space. This architecture promotes innovation and encourages designers to add value while it moves their contribution to the overall design further up the supply chain.

The new product pricing, according to Irwin, is now more in line with what engineers are used to paying for FPGA and other software development tools, versus the typical cost of a high-end board design platform.

In talking about Altium’s philosophy, Irwin commented, “The real value of the design is not the mechanical aspects but the creativity (from the designer) – that is what separates one design from another.” Altium expects that the lower cost for its tool will allow more designers and engineers to have access to a platform with the potential to change the way they differentiate themselves from their competitors. He continued, “This is a wake-up call for the industry, it’s time to change the way we have been doing things.”