PC World talked with Google Analytics senior manager Brett Crosby about the recent Urchin Version 6.0 product release including pricing, product packaging and upgrade info.
Here’s an excerpt from the full article:
Google will also change how the product is packaged. Previously, Urchin consisted of a core piece costing US$895 and optional modules, including one that cost almost $4,000. The new version integrates all pieces in one product that will sell for $2,995.
“We wanted to simplify the licensing model,” said Bretty Crosby, Google Analytics senior manager. Plus, it represents a savings for those who would have spent more than $3,000 on the core software and modules, he said.
Companies use Web analytics software to track, measure and analyze their Web sites’ traffic. This information can help a company decide how to modify its site’s layout to increase sales, as well as evaluate the effectiveness of online advertising campaigns.
A common complaint among Urchin customers has been that they bought support contracts, mostly to get Version 6.0 as a free upgrade, only to see their contracts expire without even a glimpse of the new version.
They will probably be happy to know that Google will offer Version 6.0 free to any customer who bought a support contract for version 5.0, which originally shipped in mid-2003, Crosby said.
Moreover, if customers never bought a support contract, Google will apply whatever amount they paid for their Urchin 5 system toward the price of Version 6.0, which can potentially make it free in some cases, Crosby said.
The new Urchin software version will offer tools to assist in migrating configurations and data from older versions, as well as more flexibility over the processing and auditing of Web analytics data, Crosby said.
Version 6.0 also makes it possible for customers to feed the captured Web analytics data automatically to a Google Analytics account, if they have one, Crosby said.
To request inclusion in the beta program, customers can contact Google channel partner ROI Revolution. Channel partners sell the Urchin product and provide Urchin support and consulting.
Request your free 90-day beta copy of Urchin 6 software today.
