Common Questions

The Esri Software Maintenance Program provides

• Automatic access to the latest releases of Esri software and software updates
• Technical support from skilled and experienced analysts
• Complimentary registrations to the annual Esri International User Conference, where applicable
• Automatic consideration for the Esri Software Beta Program to preview and test software prior to general release
• Subscriptions to ArcNews and ArcUser
• Advanced and exclusive notification of software promotions

Primary maintenance subscribers receive software and documentation updates, technical support, and complimentary registration to the Esri International User Conference. The number of complimentary registrations depends on the type of software licensing.

Secondary maintenance is offered at a lower cost and provides subscribers with software updates and technical support through the software license covered under primary maintenance. Secondary maintenance does not include documentation updates, authorized caller privileges, or complimentary Esri International User Conference registrations. Up to nine secondary software maintenance subscriptions can be purchased for each primary maintenance subscription.

Your customer number is between one and six digits and can be found on your invoice, packing list, or top left on the second page of the Maintenance Quotation. Or, you can contact Esri Customer Service to request your customer number. Users outside the United States should contact their local Esri distributor.

Esri Customer Service keeps track of each maintenance subscription and will automatically notify you 120 days prior to your maintenance subscription expiration date and send you a quote 90 days prior to your maintenance subscription expiration date.

The start date for all maintenance programs is determined by adding 30 days to the license invoice date and rounding up to the first day of the following month.

If you need to change the start or end date of your maintenance term, contact Esri Customer Service. Some prorated charges may apply.

Software maintenance fees are due and payable annually in advance. However, customers in the United States can request that software maintenance fees be paid quarterly or semiannually in advance, with an added service fee of 12 percent per billing.

Business partners in the United States should contact their local Esri regional office for information on business partner maintenance pricing.

The maintenance quote is valid for 90 days from the date of issuance.

No. The maintenance renewal quote is not the same as an invoice. It is Esri's policy to send maintenance quotes to all customers who have current maintenance subscriptions. Before Esri can generate an invoice, it needs to receive authorization from you in the form of a returned, signed maintenance quote; a purchase order; or payment via credit card or check.

The maintenance subscription is valid for the most current version of the software license that you purchased.

No. Any additional licenses that you purchase will be prorated when the next maintenance term renewal becomes due. This provides you with one maintenance anniversary date for all your software licenses and allows you and your organization to plan and budget accordingly. Esri will issue one maintenance quote for all your software licenses once every year.

Most ArcGIS for Desktop extensions require a separate maintenance subscription, which is calculated by using the same rules that apply to the ArcGIS for Desktop products. Primary and secondary maintenance is offered for both concurrent use and single use ArcGIS for Desktop extensions.

Each additional software license requires its own maintenance subscription. To find out how to purchase maintenance for your additional licenses, in the United States, contact your local Esri regional office. International users should contact their local Esri distributor.

If you have received your Esri software products as part of a donation or grant, the first year of maintenance is provided free of charge unless otherwise noted in your contract.

All users are eligible to receive service packs released by Esri, whether or not their Esri software products are on maintenance. Service packs are available via web downloads.

An authorized caller is an individual designated by you, the customer, who can contact Esri to request technical assistance, such as reporting software problems or requesting assistance with software use. You need to provide the names of the authorized callers to Esri Technical Support; however, you can change the authorized caller list at any time by notifying Esri Technical Support. If you do not notify Esri with the name of the authorized caller, the first person to call Esri to request technical support assistance becomes the authorized caller.

Esri software users outside the United States can receive technical assistance through their local Esri distributor. The distributor will contact Esri in Redlands, California, when more assistance is needed. Please contact your local Esri distributor with any questions or for more details.