vBulletin 3 and 4 are no longer available to new licenses.

[zappaDPJ]

vBulletin 3 and 4 are no longer available to new licenses. - vBulletin Community Forum

vBulletin 3 and 4 are not available on licenses purchased after January 1st, 2020. These packages are no longer being developed and do not receive support updates. In addition to this, the underlying PHP technology they rely on is also End of Life and no longer receiving security updates. This...

forum.vbulletin.com

 

[mysiteguy]

It sounds like they are keen to increase the VB5 installed base, and lesson support for older platforms.

 

[LeadCrow]

This will not end well... They might as well stop selling vb5 as well and go all-in on the company-hosted SaaS vbCloud.
No amount of convincing will work, especially as it's still more expensive to upgrade to vb5 than migrate to a rival script. They seriously need to hire economists instead of accountants.

 

[haqzore]

Long time coming really.

 

[Alpha1]

I wonder if second hand licenses will go up in price.

 

[whitetigergrowl]

The worst part of all of this is that if you're interested in VB5, they have no freaking import script. It's like they live in the world of insanity.

If I wanted to go from Xenforo to VB 5 I have to either start new or pay some good money for someone to make an import script. That's a huge turn off and deterrence. There is literally no incentive for me to even try to go to VB 5 if I wanted to. Until they create an import script, they aren't even an option.

 

[Kevin]

if you're interested in VB5, they have no freaking import script.

It's been a while since I've visited the vB.com forums so I browsed tonight.... the staff responses to importing into vB5 all say that there is no vB5 importer and instead to import into vB4 first and then upgrade to vB5 but, now, the most recent announcement is that new customers will no longer have access to vB4. At least it's good news for any 3rd-party contractors out there who are doing vB5 inbound migrations.

 

[HallofFamer]

VB5 is the world's leading forumware, as claimed on vbulletin.com official page, so its reasonable they are demanding their customers to switch to the industry standard.

 

[Paul M]

The excuses given are just weak nonsense.
A lot of people bought vB5 licences just to get access to vB4, so they have killed that route.
I can't imagine why they would want to reduce their sales even more, but there you go, seems they do.

 

[Joel R]

It's been a while since I've visited the vB.com forums so I browsed tonight.... the staff responses to importing into vB5 all say that there is no vB5 importer and instead to import into vB4 first and then upgrade to vB5 but, now, the most recent announcement is that new customers will no longer have access to vB4. At least it's good news for any 3rd-party contractors out there who are doing vB5 inbound migrations.

That sounds really backwards!

 

[whitetigergrowl]

VB5 is the world's leading forumware, as claimed on vbulletin.com official page, so its reasonable they are demanding their customers to switch to the industry standard.

It's no longer than the leading forumware. That crown goes to IPB and Xenforo. The number of sites using them versus sites migrating to them or even people starting to use them has been on the decline for years.

10 years ago they were the leaders. They haven't been for some time. There are still a lot of VB 3 and 4 forums from those glory days still around but the vast majority haven't and won't upgrade to VB5. They either stay on the older versions or port to Xenforo or IPB.

No clue why you think they are the worlds leading forumware. They give absolutely ZERO incentive to use or switch to them.

 

[Alpha1]

I can't imagine why they would want to reduce their sales even more, but there you go, seems they do.

Have they ever given you the impression that vb license sales are an objective at all? I've never gotten that impression. IB seems to be doing extremely well financially while they keep hurting their license sales and increasing their choke hold on vb customers.

 

[haqzore]

No clue why you think they are the worlds leading forumware. They give absolutely ZERO incentive to use or switch to them.

 

[HallofFamer]

No clue why you think they are the worlds leading forumware. They give absolutely ZERO incentive to use or switch to them.

Its not about what I think it is, what I think isnt important anyway. Its what IB claims it to be:

 

[Paul M]

Have they ever given you the impression that vb license sales are an objective at all? I've never gotten that impression. IB seems to be doing extremely well financially while they keep hurting their license sales and increasing their choke hold on vb customers.

IB may be doing well, but vB is its own "department" and has to sustain itself via its own income, so yes, its very important to them that they sell licences.

 

[Joeychgo]

IB may be doing well, but vB is its own "department" and has to sustain itself via its own income, so yes, its very important to them that they sell licences.

any idea how many employees they have these days Paul?

 

[HallofFamer]

Though IB actually has an incentive to make VB worse, since they are running forums and are competitors against the customers of VB licenses.

 

[Alpha1]

IB may be doing well, but vB is its own "department" and has to sustain itself via its own income, so yes, its very important to them that they sell licences.

That's interesting considering the number of times they have shot themselves down and forced customers to turn away.

 

[Paul M]

any idea how many employees they have these days Paul?

I dont know exactly, and its almost 3 years since I left - but as I recall it was about a dozen (inc support & contractors) when I left.
It isnt going to have gone up, only about half were full time.

 

[Paul M]

Though IB actually has an incentive to make VB worse

Well most people would say they succeeded in this, with vB5.