Zend offers PHP applications on subscription model

In a change to its software licensing model, Zend Technologies has begun offering its PHP web application deployment solutions as part of a package available through an annual subscription.

The company said its Zend Unlimited Subscription program, unveiled Thursday, addresses market demand for more flexible, cost-effective application infrastructures. For subscription prices starting at $50,000, users get unlimited access to the Zend Server PHP web application server for enterprises, Zend Server Cluster Manager for managing multi-server PHP application deployments, and the Zend Studio IDE for PHP application development. Technical support also is included, with phone support, PHP stack updates and security hot fixes.

Zend's program is an alternative to selling software based on the number of instances, which can become a problem in variable-load situations such as in cloud computing, explained Ran Gishri, Zend vice president of product marketing. "[Customers] want the ability to add more instances without going back to us and renegotiating the deal," Gishri said.

A media company with varying peaks in traffic, for example, might spend thousands of dollars more for Zend software under the previous pricing plan than it would under the new structure, he said.

Zend already has had a good reception to the plan from early customers. "We're optimistic that many others will follow," and sign up as well, Gishri said.

In a statement, Zend cited Fiat Group Automobiles as a subscriber to the new plan. "The Zend Unlimited Subscription allows us to standardise and streamline our development and production environment using a common set of tools and resources across the team," said Daniele Paolo Vigna, of Dealer Network and Internet Services at Fiat, in the statement.