Mining software solutions provider Micromine has launched a new pay-as-you-go subscription model for African clients to keep pace with industry needs.

The Australia-headquartered company, with a regional office in Johannesburg, will make the change from contract-based licensing to subscription later this month.

Micromine offers software solutions that span the mining lifecycle, from geological exploration and data management to resource estimation, three-dimensional mine design, planning and production control.

The struggle smaller African companies have faced is getting enough investment into their operations, thereby creating a spending dilemma on operational costs versus technology costs, with the former usually taking preference, according to Micromine.

However, with the new subscription model, spending on exploration and modelling software will become a more flexible choice owing to the different options available to the customer.

Micromine global marketing manager Kate Gilbey says the change was in direct response to industry feedback, with client’s reporting they wanted the flexibility to use the software as and when they needed.

“It is no longer a matter of whether individuals and companies want to go digital, as it was when we started our business more than 30 years ago, it is now a matter of how, where and when they want to digitalise their activities.”

She notes that the move from contract-based licensing agreements to a subscription model reflects a transition Micromine has seen across many media and software-based industries, including on-demand television, online music streaming and computer operating systems.

“Consumers no longer want to buy software and services outright, they want the flexibility and convenience to use services and systems as and when they need,” she added.

Gilbey states that for small to medium-sized explorers in Africa, for whom traditional one-off purchases are cost-prohibitive, Micromine’s new offering alleviates the need to find the capital to invest in software upfront. “They can choose the subscription period they need.”

She also notes that larger clients that have many licences will benefit from a lower initial cost and the ability to offset the costs over a number of years, as well as an ability to change their licensing arrangements and software choices as their needs change and projects evolve from exploration through to full production.

Clients can choose from daily, monthly and yearly subscriptions across four software bundles. The Explorer bundle provides visualisation, drill-hole management and analytical tools to enhance exploration projects, while the Geology Modeller enables geologists to use the best industry explicit and implicit modelling tools to map, record and analyse geological data.

The Resource Modeller provides a comprehensive suite of modelling tools to build, manipulate and estimate resources for any commodity, while the Stratigraphic Modeller delivers a suite of stratigraphic modelling tools to model and estimate resources through a unique and efficient workflow.

Once the licence is activated, clients have access to Micromine’s user forum and international licensing support five days a week.

The subscription-based licensing will be available for new and existing Africa-based clients as part of the global rollout.