Software Monetization - Case Study

a.i. solutions® Launch Flexible Licensing to Accelerate Growth

a.i. solutions

Trusted by NASA, the U.S. Space Force, and various other government agencies, universities, and commercial partners on prestigious missions such as the International Space Station and the James Webb Space Telescope, a.i. solutions creates high-performance astrodynamics software for spaceflight navigation and satellite tracking.

From trajectory design and collision avoidance to orbit monitoring and maneuver planning, their powerful technology helps aerospace teams achieve mission-critical safety and control.

The FreeFlyer® application has utilized Revenera’s software licensing service for more than 20 years, enabling a.i. solutions to generate impressive annual revenue growth while streamlining operations and accelerating time-to-market for new releases.

Challenge:

  • Building and maintaining a homegrown licensing system would stretch internal teams.
     
  • Open source alternatives lack functionality, security, and proper documentation.
     
  • Compatibility with air-gapped, virtual, cloud, containerized, and hybrid deployments is essential.

Solution:

  • Adopt Revenera’s monetization platform so engineers can focus on product innovation.
     
  • Drive growth by offering flexible licensing models based on customer needs.
     
  • Reduce risk by implementing proven technology that works seamlessly in any environment.

Benefits:

  • Estimated savings of two years in development time, allowing staff to prioritize roadmap goals.
     
  • Projected 500% reduction in support tickets, freeing up two full-time employees (FTEs).
     
  • Consistent annual revenue growth, facilitated by Revenera’s licensing engine.

Space Math 101

Accurate modeling is vital for complex space programs, where even slight miscalculations can jeopardize success. That’s why a.i. solutions produces cutting-edge navigation tools, empowering organizations to simulate, analyze, and track orbits with total precision.

By implementing Revenera’s FlexNet Licensing, a.i. solutions can concentrate on product enhancements without the distraction of building and maintaining back-office infrastructure, ensuring FreeFlyer keeps pace with the challenges of modern space operations.

Andrew Werner, Chief Product Development Officer at a.i. solutions, states: “Our customers depend on us to overcome highly intricate problems, so when they ask questions or make feature requests, we need to be responsive. Our engineering and support teams can’t afford to be bogged down by licensing issues, which is why we use Revenera’s reliable platform.”

a.i. solutions iridium
FreeFlyer allows users to model complex satellite constellations.
Andrew Werner - a.i. solutions

When you factor in all the testing and configuration requirements for licensing, it wouldn’t make sense for two engineers to spend two years building a system that would likely run into issues and not play nicely in every environment. Instead, Revenera’s secure platform allows us to focus on developing the capabilities that add value and ensure better outcomes for our customers.

ANDREW WERNER Chief Product Development Officer, a.i. solutions

Launchpad for Revenue Growth

By integrating Revenera’s licensing engine, the a.i. solutions team is free to prioritize product innovation, improve customer satisfaction, and reduce time-to-market for new releases, ensuring they stay ahead. 

Andrew continues: “Our customers choose our product over open source alternatives because they want a trusted, supported solution with great documentation and a helpful team that stands behind the product. Choosing open source software for flight dynamics always ends up costing more in personnel and still has gaps. Similarly, we choose Revenera’s system because it reduces our costs, delivers functionality sooner, and offers the documentation, security, and support to let us focus on the ‘space math’ features our customers care about.” 

In addition to saving time on building infrastructure, Revenera’s software licensing solutions are routinely updated for security, compliance, and performance, meaning Andrew’s team don’t have to worry about maintenance. He explains: “In terms of sales and support, we do get some licensing-related questions, but there would be at least a fivefold increase if we were using our own system. That’s another two full-time helpdesk employees who can dedicate efforts to solving problems rather than talking about licensing.”

The freedom to offer different models, such as node-locked or floating, while ensuring secure, seamless access in any environment sets us apart from the competition. If we couldn’t support every scenario, we’d be cutting off half the market. Flexibility and stability fuel our annual revenue growth, and Revenera’s technology is fundamental.

ANDREW WERNER Chief Product Development Officer, a.i. solutions

Advanced mission design, orbit analysis, and collision prevention for aerospace teams.
Advanced mission design, orbit analysis, and collision prevention for aerospace teams.

Mission Monetization

As the volume of space traffic rapidly grows, demand for astrodynamics software is on the rise. By embedding Revenera’s platform into their quote-to-cash framework, a.i. solutions can focus on monetizing what matters instead of back-office logistics. 

Andrew concludes: “Ultimately, it’s about minimizing friction for us and our customers. The space industry is growing in scale and out to other planets, which means the calculations are increasingly complex. What we do is difficult enough, so the fact we can rely on Revenera for licensing saves time and resources, while ensuring our customers can access what they need, when they need it.”

As the FreeFlyer team navigates potential future plans, such as offering usage-based pricing for specific use cases, Revenera continues to evolve the monetization technology to support their mission.

If you'd like guidance on introducing flexible licensing models to your sales strategy, please contact us today.

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