Dave's Blog

Visit Summit at PDC 2008 Booth #518

dschneid — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:54:00 GMT

Summit Software is pleased to announce that we will be exhibiting at PDC2008.

We invite you to visit us during your visit there and learn about VSTA 2.0 and how integration of VSTA 2.0 with your application can lead to competitive advantage.

Our team will be ready to meet with you to discuss your VSTA plans, and we would encourage you to schedule some time to disucss VSTA.

Please send an email to me, dschneid@summsoft.com, and we can schedule a 20 minute block for a meeting to disucss your needs.

We look forward to seeing you at PDC2008.

Solidworks 2009 Shipping with VSTA

dschneid — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:09:00 GMT

Solidworks Corporation has integrated Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications (VSTA) into its Solidworks 2009 product line as a significant enhancement to the Solidworks API.

Solidworks is a 3D mechanical CAD product used by product designers and mechanical engineers worldwide. To learn more about the features and functionality of Solidworks 2009, please see the Solidworks 2009 website.

Summit is pleased that Solidworks 2009 users now have the ability to leverage VSTA for Macro Recording and additional customization.

VSTA 2.0 RTM now available

dschneid — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:54:00 GMT

I am pleased to announce the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) of Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications (VSTA) 2.0.

The VSTA 2.0 RTM bits are available from the following location:

http://www.summsoft.com/VSTAInfReq.aspx

If you have an account with Summit, please use your login credentials to access the VSTA 2.0 SDK.

If you have not registered with Summit, please do so to access the SDK.

We look forward to working with you during your evaluation and integration of VSTA 2.0.

If you have questions, please contact me directly at dschneid@summsoft.com.

David Schneid
General Manager
Summit Software Company

Autodesk Revit now shipping with VSTA

dschneid — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:53:00 GMT

Autodesk Inc. has integrated and is now shipping Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications (VSTA) in its Revit 2009 product line, including Revit Architecture, Revit Structure, and Revit MEP.

Revit is architectural BIM (Building Informational Modeling) software that allows intelligent,3D and parametric object-based design.

Summit is pleased that Autodesk Revit is now using VSTA to provide their customers the ability to customize and extend the functionality of Revit.

Learn more about the integration of VSTA by Autodesk by exploring the various Revit products:

Revit Architecture, targeted at architects and building designers.

Revit Structure, targeted at structural engineers.

Revit MEP, targeted at mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineers.

VSTA 2.0 Beta now available

dschneid — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:54:00 GMT

Summit Software is pleased to announce the availability of the Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications (VSTA) 2.0 SDK Beta.

The VSTA 2.0 Beta has been released. This new release is available for download from Summit's website for authorized, registered users.

In order to access the Beta:

1) Create an account on Summit's website using a corporate email address.

2) Complete our VSTA Evaluation form

When you have completed the above steps, we will provide you with authorization and access instructions via email.

We encourage your feedback throughout your evaluation, and look forward to working with you on your VSTA 2.0 integration!

If you have previously downloaded the CTP release, you already have access to the Beta.

As a point of interest, the VSTA 2.0 Beta includes the WPF Designer

VSTA 2.0 SDK CTP Now Available

dschneid — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 18:55:00 GMT

Summit Software is pleased to announce the availability of the Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications (VSTA) 2.0 SDK CTP.

This CTP is available for download from Summit's website for authorized, registered users.

In order to access the CTP:

1) Create an account on Summit's website using a corporate email address.

2) Complete our VSTA Evaluation form

When you have completed the above steps, we will provide you with authorization and access instructions via email.

We encourage your feedback throughout your evaluation, and look forward to working with you on your VSTA 2.0 integration!

VSTA SDK now available

dschneid — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 19:23:00 GMT

In conjuction with the launch of VSTA at VS Live in San Francisco, where KD Hallman, the Microsoft General Manager for VSTA, delivered a powerful keynote address, Microsoft has also launched the VSTA Developler Center (http://msdn.microsoft.com/vsta).

In addition, the VSTA SDK is now available for easy download from the Developer Center. This provides an easy to access mechanism for downloading the SDK!

Happy integration!

Customizing apps using VSTA

dschneid — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 16:00:00 GMT

Paul Stubbs, a program manager on the VSTA team, wrote a very interesting article published in the August 2006 MSDN magazine about VSTA. In the article, titled "Let Users Customize Your Apps With Visual Studio Tools for Applications", Paul looks at VSTA, VSTO, and VBA, and provides a useful demo of customizing a form in InfoPath 2007.

Top 20 cool new features of VSTA

dschneid — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 15:56:00 GMT

Paul Stubbs, a Program Manager with the VSTA team, blogs about the top 20 cool new features of VSTA.

VSTA and Generics

dschneid — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 14:53:00 GMT

Over the course of the past few months, one of the biggest questions we have addressed from potential VSTA licensees is the following:

"Does VSTA support generics?"

While support for generics is limited in the current release of VSTA, a workaround exists. Thomas Quinn, the architect on the team in the Visual Studio team that deals with application programmability, just released a blog post dealing with this specific topic. VSTA and Generics. If generics is essential, I suggesst you take a look at the workaround presented in this blog!

How to download the VSTA release bits

dschneid — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 19:49:00 GMT

You can download the VSTA SDK from the Microsoft VSTA Developer Center.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vsta

As you begin exploring the VSTA release bits, please do not hesitate to contact us!

The VSTA release bits are now available!

dschneid — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 15:43:00 GMT

Microsoft has released Visual Studio Tools for Applications (VSTA) SDK to manufacturing. The release bits can be found as part of the VS SDK (login required). After you login to your VSIP account, the release bits for VSTA can be found as part of the following:

VS SDK 3.0 (August 2006 CTP)

Please ensure that you download the August 2006 CTP, as the VS 2005 SDK 3.0 - September 2006 RTM does not contain VSTA.

With this event, VSTA licensees are now able to ship the release version of the VSTA redistributables with their products.

Micorosft Office InfoPath 2007 will soon become the first Microsoft application that will ship with VSTA. Along with the other applications in the 2007 Microsoft Office system, InfoPath 2007 will be available to volume licensees by the end of 2006, with retail availability in early 2007.

Microsoft will officially launch VSTA in 2007 after the launch of the 2007 Microsoft Office system.

We look forward to working with you as you evaluate VSTA!

VSTA Pricing Examples

dschneid@summsoft.com — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 15:49:00 GMT

One of the questions that I have frequently encountered has been to describe the pricing mechanism, specifically related to the royalty model. The royalty model is based on cumulative net receipts over the contract term for a particular product incorporating VSTA. Each time your cumulative net receipts surpass a specific percentage threshold, your subsequent royalty rate falls as well.

To better illustrate this point, here are two examples of the royalty model:

ISV with $6 million in product sales per year:

In this scenario, the ISV quickly eats through the higher percentages, and within the first year, is paying a 1% Royalty Rate.

Specifically, this ISV will pay a total of $126,000 in the first year, as seen below:

5% on 1st $100,000 = $5,000
4% on next $400,000 = $16,000
3% on next $500,000 = $15,000
2% on next $4,000,000 = $80,000
1% on last $1,000,000 = $10,000
Total year 1: $126,000

In Year 2 (and subsquent years of the contract) the royalty rate is 1%, regardless of product sales. So, in this case, assuming no change in product sales, the royalty due will be $60,000.

ISV with $2.5 million in product sales per year:

In this scenario, the ISV takes a little longer to move down the royalty ladder, but will be paying the lowest percentage by the beginning of year 3.

Specifically, this ISV will pay a total of $66,000 in the first year, as seen below:

5% on 1st $100,000 = $5,000
4% on next $400,000 = $16,000
3% on next $500,000 = $15,000
2% on next $1,500,000 = $30,000
Total year 1: $66,000

In Year 2, the ISVs starting royalty rate will be 2%. Royalties for the year will be $50,000 ($2,500,000 @ 2%).

In Year 3, the ISVs starting royalty rate will be 1% (the cumulative product shipped will be $5,000,000). Royalties for the year will fall to $25,000 ($2,500,000 @1%).