Bentley Selectserver [2021] May 2026

| Model | Description | Best For | |-------|-------------|----------| | | A specific person can install on up to 3 devices, but only use one at a time. | Dedicated power users, design leads. | | Concurrent (Flexible) | Pool of N licenses shared across M users (M > N). First-come, first-served. | Teams with shift work, occasional users, cost optimization. | | Term Subscription | Fixed number of licenses for a fixed period (monthly, annual). | Budget predictability, temporary project teams. | | Usage-Based (Micro-licensing) | Pay per hour or per compute unit (e.g., rendering, simulation). Launched in 2023 via SelectServer. | Cloud rendering, rare analysis runs, burst capacity. | | Enterprise Token System | A universal "token" that can activate any product, deducting variable token costs per hour. | Large EPCs needing access to entire Bentley portfolio. |

The days of "I need a permanent license for MicroStation on my laptop even though I use it twice a month" are ending. SelectServer replaces that inefficiency with a simple question asked at every launch: "Do you need this right now?" If yes, the license appears. If not, it remains available for someone who does. That is the essence of modern enterprise software — and SelectServer delivers it. For further reading: Bentley’s official SelectServer Administration Guide (PDF) and the "CONNECTION Client Licensing" whitepaper provide step-by-step deployment scripts for SCCM, Intune, and Group Policy. bentley selectserver

Introduction: Beyond the Perpetual License For decades, the software industry operated on a simple model: buy a license, own the version forever, and pay separately for maintenance and upgrades. For complex engineering software like Bentley Systems’ portfolio (MicroStation, OpenRoads, OpenBuildings, etc.), this created significant friction. IT departments struggled with version sprawl, project teams faced compliance risks, and financial teams disliked unpredictable capital expenditures. | Model | Description | Best For |

Enter . Launched as the backbone of Bentley’s Enterprise Licensing strategy, SelectServer is not a piece of software you run; it is a cloud-based entitlement management and activation service that fundamentally changes how organizations procure, deploy, and consume Bentley applications. First-come, first-served