Hostage Hosting:
Branch’s Flexible and Transparent Model
Partner‑locked clouds remove price competition and tech choice.
Here’s how to spot the cage and trade the same dollars for real value.
The Hidden Cage
You opted for “one invoice, zero headaches.” What you didn't realize is that you traded an easy payment over transparency and cost control. You got a gilded cage: a bundled subscription that dictates your licensing model and hosting environment—no choice, no competition.
Why the Trap Exists
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Opaque Bundles: Licenses, hosting, and support sold as one package—no line-item transparency.
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Partner‑Locked Clouds: Your SaaS or perpetual seats only work in partner‑administered environments. Either you are term locked from the SaaS licenses themselves or you are term locked from an annual hosting contract, which thereby locks your perpetual licenses.
Branch’s Flexible and Transparent Model
A. Two Licensing Paths (Or‑Or)
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Perpetual License
• Own your software—pay annual maintenance (~20% of base) and rebid hosting anytime. -
SaaS Subscription
• Annual seats + hosting + support in one, with no infrastructure CAPEX—you run only where your partner manages.
Always delivered together: Ask for SaaS, get perpetual. Ask for perpetual, get SaaS.
B. One Baseline Hosting Model
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Starter Cloud: Low‑footprint, multi‑tenant instance for apples‑to‑apples comparison.
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Beyond Baseline: Once you see actual costs and performance, we’ll scope private‑dedicated, public‑cloud or on‑prem options to match your compliance and uptime needs.
Two Paths to Freedom
If you’re locked in, pick the escape that fits your capital and freedom needs:
1. Own & Shop
Action: Buy perpetual seats, then rebid hosting anytime.
Pros: You own the licenses; hosting is open market.
Cons: Up‑front license investment; maintenance until break‑even (~5 yrs).
2. Partner with an Open‑Model Ally
Action: Switch to a partner who delivers both licensing models (SaaS & perpetual) and multiple hosting options by default.
Pros: Keep existing contract dates and seat counts; immediate choice on license and hosting flavors.
Cons: Must be current on maintenance and complete a PoR transfer.
Tip: Vet for two license quotes + at least two distinct hosting SKUs in every proposal.
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