OrchidWiz is back?

[Australis]

Seems like something is happening with OrchidWiz. Received an email this morning informing me of OrchidWiz 20.0's release and an upgrade offer (X9.1 was the previous release, so not sure what is happening with the version numbering - I'm guessing they've decided to drop the Xmajor.minor format and revert to the previous numbering scheme?).

It is also on the website:
https://www.orchidwiz.com/products/orch ... cyclopedia

The price has gone up dramatically; even the upgrade costs more than the new user + year of support that I purchased when I heard OrchidWiz was shutting down (and that was before any of the closing down sales).

Does anyone else have more insight into what has happened with OrchidWiz and why this sudden resurrection? The website doesn't provide any information as to what has been going on and even their Facebook page doesn't have any new posts since January 2023, when they were advertising their closing down sale.

[MrCym]

Yes, the news has gone around like a wildfire. Can't wait to get the update and the correct genera again. To hell with Chase and his fellow sycophants!

[MrD]

I contacted OrchidWiz when I got the email about the relaunch and received the following reply:

"We decided to release another version of OrchidWiz as we were not successful in getting a qualified party to purchase the company and take it over. We are still hopeful to pass the torch to someone else in the future. In the meanwhile, we will keep OrchidWiz going for as long as we can.

We changed our business model completely because the prior model was not financially feasible. Not only did we charge too little for 4 versions per year, but 10% of our user base (about 100 people in total) were getting the software for free. We're hoping the new business model works for us and for most people."

The increase in cost (US$413.00) to upgrade will probably put off a number of users.

[Australis]

Thanks MrD. I was considering contacting them myself to find out what the story was.

It's understandable that costs may have had to increase, but such a jump in price does suggest they were way undercharging if the current cost is actually what is needed to make it viable.

[Australis]

OrchidWiz has sent out a follow-up email to answer the questions they have been getting. Turns out that the website update now shows pricing with the exchange rate applied, which explains why it looked like it had gone up so much! The price increase in USD is much less and reasonable.

Version 20 Follow Up

First and foremost, a big THANK YOU for your continuous support. We decided to write this communication to address some of the questions and concerns addressed to us since our last announcement.

Is the new version 20 a scam? It is not. But don't take our word for it. We encourage you to go to our web site OrchidWiz.com and download the software by selecting the top right corner menu item Downloads -> Download Encyclopedia. You can run the software for 30 days at no cost before needing to activate. So you have plenty of time to try the new version without paying.

Once you decide to purchase, please give us at least a week to enable the activations. Do not wait until the last minute to purchase. (This week only we have a 24 hour turn around time due to the large volume of sales.)

Do you still allow activation on two computers? YES.

Who is doing OrchidWiz now? Did another party take over? No, it's still just us, Alex and Marianna, albeit no longer working full time (this week is an exception). We are still hopeful to pass the torch to someone else in the future. In the meanwhile, we will keep OrchidWiz going for as long as we can.

Will there be updates to this version? No, we did away with all quarterly updates. We no longer have the time to put them together.

What is the cost of the software? The software starts at US $250 for a downloaded upgrade (which applies to almost everyone reading this) or US $350 for a new customer downloading. There is no difference between the upgrade and a new license, only the price.

International customers: Those accessing the site from outside the USA are seeing the exchange rate already reflected in the price of the software. This is confusing, we know. It's not our doing.

As a prior customer, do I need to have an older version of the software installed before installing the upgrade? No, version 20 is fully self contained.

Upgraded licenses can be transferred. If you are no longer using OrchidWiz, consider gifting your license to a student judge or new orchid aficionado in your region who does not yet have the software. That person can purchase an upgrade for $250 instead of paying the regular $350 for a new license. We will update our records to reflect the new owner of the license.

Will there be another version of the software? Version 20 represents an attempt at finding a business model (pricing, effort and release frequency) that works for us and for our customers. If in the next few months we learn a good number of our regular customers are still with us, then yes. If not, then we will close the business at the end of next year.

For how long will you support version 20? If it turns out version 20 is our last release, then support for versions 20, X9 and X8 will cease January 1, 2026. Versions prior to X8 are no longer supported.

Are you offering discounts? No, we did away with discounts. All our customers are an important part of the orchid-growing ecosystem. Judges, orchid hobbyists, societies, non-profits, photo contributors, hybridizers, students, experts, seniors... all deserve the lowest price. Why lower the price for some at the expense of others?

Do you offer free licenses to certain people? In past versions, the number of people getting free licenses (photographers, judging systems, etc.) grew to over 10% of our user base and became untenable. With version 20, we are doing away with all but a handful. We simply can't afford it.

Final thoughts: With version 20 we are fully embracing the fact that OrchidWiz is a niche product and will never be mainstream software. Each of our customers is just as special in the orchid world as every other customer.

There is no point in running huge promotions, developing cheap versions of the software, or offering big discounts. The average hobby grower with a few orchids at home they bought from the local grocery store will never buy OrchidWiz, even if it costs them $50 a license. That is the sad reality.

If OrchidWiz is still going, it's only because of your individual support. We thank you.

As always, if you have questions, don't hesitate to email us at support@orchidwiz.com.

The team at OrchidWiz