GDM - Licensing and Maintenance

ARM Frequently Asked Questions: Licensing and Maintenance

"The only thing constant in life is change”..... François de La Rochefoucauld

Since GDM began in 1982, there have been many changes in research techniques, tested products, company and university policies, computer hardware, software, operating systems, and programming development tools.

As the research and computer industries have changed to use new standards and methods, GDM must also be willing to change. As a result, in 2015 we substantially lowered new license and upgrade costs, and introduced an annual maintenance plan to keep ARM versions always current. See the "What are the advantages of a GDM software maintenance plan?" question below for the many benefits.

Because of the software license cost reductions, we no longer offer license extensions to install one ARM license on multiple computers. Instead, we offer low cost Field licenses for use in research groups, and graduate student licenses for universities.

What are the advantages of a GDM software maintenance plan?

Lower cost for new licenses and upgrades.
Easier cost budgeting. The annual cost is smaller and easier to budget than a large major version upgrade cost every three or four years.
When purchasing an ARM license or upgrade, the price includes the first year of maintenance (support plus enhancements), keeping your central trial management tool always up-to-date.
No need to order upgrades. With the maintenance plan, upgrades are available immediately after release through Check for Updates.
GDM can include large high-priority changes quickly, rather than waiting years to include in the next pay upgrade.
All new features are immediately available via automatic Check for Updates, offering a shorter wait for new features.
Contract researchers will always be up to date with the ARM version that fully supports the newest version of all sponsor customizations.
New Microsoft (Windows, Office) developments will be always supported without manual changes.
No more concern about which ARM version someone is using, because after a few years all clients will have the current version. It will no longer be necessary to Save As a lower ARM version, and lose key information.
Data quality will improve as new features tailored to current research techniques are immediately available.
Program support will improve as it is far more effective supporting the same version, which includes updated study definitions.

See ARM Client License Maintenance and Renewal (pdf) for an overview of the ARM maintenance renewal process.

When do I receive new ARM versions under the annual maintenance?

All updates to ARM are available immediately on Check for Updates after they are released. Each year GDM will prepare a version upgrade for the next field season, and release that version during 4th quarter of the preceding year.

You will not be charged for downloading a new version of ARM. As long as your license maintenance has not expired, then all updates to ARM are free to download and use!

For example, ARM 2016 was released 4th quarter of 2015. After release, the new version will be available on Check for Updates.

What are differences between Full, Field/Technician, and Graduate Student licenses?

Full license:

Offers all available ARM features.
All add-in products are available to purchase and link to the license, including Summary across Trials, Tablet Data Collector, and ARM Trial Database.
All ARM 9 or older licenses are Full licenses.

Field/Technician license:

Simplifies the ARM interface to contain only those features especially for technicians conducting trials, and is available at a substantially reduced price.
Is optimized for tasks of the day-to-day field work when performing trials.
Field license bundle includes Technician license plus TDCx features.
See ARM License Comparison (pdf) for a side-by-side comparison of features offered for a Full and Field/Technician license.

Graduate Student license:

Offers ARM features as a non-renewable, one-time license that expires in 2 years
(can request 3 years for Ph.D. student for small additional cost).
Greatly reduced cost to support training future researchers.
Major Professor owns current version license, supports students' questions, and provides Graduate Student status documentation when ordering.
- All protocols and trials created by Graduate Student use Investigator Name of the Major Professor.
- Company Name on reports lists university name plus 'Graduate Student'.
- Can install ARM Graduate Student license on one computer.
- Graduate Student license includes TDCx, but cannot purchase ST, or ATD, or reassign company or investigator name.
By default supports only standard ARM study definitions (GDMdef). If a Graduate Student is working on a thesis project that requires using a corporate customization, the Major Professor who is responsible for the student may submit a customization request to the sponsor on behalf of the graduate student (use Help - Request Corporate ARM Customization).
Trials cannot be identified as conducted under GEP, and any trial marked as conducted according to GEP opens as read-only (student licenses are not intended to use for contracted trials).

Is my ARM 9 license a 'Full license'?

Yes. A Full license offers all features included in the licensed ARM version (except for features in separately licensed add-ins such as ST, TDC, or ATD). Before ARM 2015, all ARM licenses were Full licenses.

Can a Full or Field/Technician license be reassigned to a different person within my organization?

Yes, the license may be reassigned after the current license has been decommissioned. Use our Order Form to request a license reassignment.

What is the maximum number of installs for an ARM license?

One ARM license may be installed on one computer, and must be activated online after installation. This is standard policy for essentially all professional software.
When moving ARM to a new computer, simply deactivate ARM on the old computer in order to install ARM on the new computer.
If you purchased Tablet Data Collector (TDC), then your ARM license can also be installed on the TDC.

(Global manufacturers with an active long term maintenance contract may be exempt from this activation requirement.)

Why is ARM limited to install on 1 PC per 1 ARM license?

Beginning in September 2014, GDM's software license for new installs changed to allow one GDM software serial number to be installed on one computer. The decision to make this change involved all GDM Representatives, and has been in discussion for more than 10 years. Reasons and benefits of this change are:

A lower cost to purchase and upgrade to ARM, because the license cost no longer needs to include support for multiple computer installs.
By lowering the ARM license purchase price, ARM becomes accessible to more clients, including clients in less-developed countries.
For many years a majority of license commercial software has been restricted to one computer per license, including software from other research management companies. By adopting this policy, GDM software can remain competitive.
The GDM software license allows transferring the ARM activation to a new computer. Other programs such as Microsoft Office require purchasing a new license for a new computer.
Unfortunately, in the past some clients installed one ARM license on multiple computers at several locations, in violation of the previous software license. (The previous license policy was for a maximum of two computers used personally by the licensee, and could be extended to a total of three computers at one location under a signed license extension.)
In past, when laptop computers had limited calculation power, clients often had a desktop plus a laptop for traveling. Modern laptop computers can completely replace a desktop computer.
With the reduced ARM license purchase and upgrade price, annual maintenance will:
- Help ensure that contract researchers are running the minimum ARM version to support sponsor trial requirements. Some CROs currently use ARM versions more than five years old, reducing both trial quality and the information that trial sponsors receive.
- Help ensure that program enhancements and fixes are distributed as soon as they are available.

How do I install ARM on a different computer if my old computer stops working?

If you can start the old computer and log into Windows, then deactivate ARM on the old computer. You should be able install and activate ARM on the new computer. See Transferring ARM to a New Computer (en español) for more information.

If activation fails on the new computer, then use Write to Us to request an additional activation from your GDM Representative (selected automatically based on the selected Country). Please explain the reason why another activation is needed, and we will act on your request.

How will I be notified when maintenance payment is due in 1 year?

ARM will provide messages when logging in, when less than 60 days remain until the maintenance expiration date.

Check the maintenance expiration date anytime from Help - About ARM.

What happens if I do not pay for annual maintenance?

ARM runs as an unlicensed version, providing read-only access to protocols and trials until maintenance is paid.

If maintenance for 2018 is not paid, then 2019 maintenance fee will also include unpaid 2018 total.

What are conditions of free customer support?

GDM will continue to provide customer support as defined on our Supported Software Versions and Products Policy. For most software companies, software and support are separate costs, while GDM offers software upgrades plus support as a single price.

Are there special ARM license offers for a university?

If you are a university researcher in a country directly supported by the GDM headquarters (a country not listed in Representatives by Country), then use Write to Us and request "special university offers to help educate our future researchers with ARM".

As a contractor, should I wait to upgrade until all sponsors are using the current ARM version?

No. By upgrading now, your trials will always be fully compatible all sponsor trials and customizations, and trial quality will improve. When a sponsor sends you a protocol or trial, by default ARM keeps the protocol and trial in the same file version as the sponsor sent.

What information is required for GDM to create an ARM license?

Investigator name: One person's name, and cannot exceed 38 characters
Company name: Cannot exceed 60 characters

From the investigator and company name, GDM creates a unique 6-character license code that identifies you as the owner of ARM studies you create.

GDM includes the investigator and company name within your ARM license, and ARM includes them in studies you create and on reports you print. The investigator name and password that GDM provides with your license are used to log into ARM. You may choose to add a user-defined password after logging into ARM.

Other GDM Products

Will my TDC be able to use the newest ARM version?

Yes. After your ARM license is upgraded, then on your TDC go to Help, Check for Updates to install the latest ARM version.

Which ARM ST version is appropriate for ARM 2015?

ARM 2017 supports ARM ST 2017. To end the confusion about ARM and ARM ST version compatibility, both ARM and ST will be identified with the same version number.

Can I upgrade my ARM ST program after upgrading ARM?

Yes, ARM ST may be upgraded or purchased at any time.

How do I transfer ARM ST ownership to different licensee?

Because ST is linked by serial number to ARM, both the ARM license and the linked ARM ST license must be transfered together as a pair. If the recipient already has an ARM license, that existing ARM license is automatically reassigned to the person who no longer has ST.

When is the best upgrade price offered?

GDM always offers the lowest upgrade price immediately after a new version is released.

Does GDM have plans to write an Apple iMac or Mac ARM version?

No. Installing a virtual Microsoft Windows environment on your Apple computer is still the most economical choice to use ARM on Apple hardware.

Didn't find an answer to your question?

Please send your questions using the Write to Us form, and the questions are sent to your GDM Representative for answers.

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