Matterport to Add Recurring Hosting Charge for Archive Models?18608
Pages:
1
 WGAN ForumFounder & WGAN-TV Podcast Host Atlanta, Georgia |
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user | |
| (The following first appeared in the We Get Around Network Newsletter that is sent monthly to We Get Around Network Members.) WGAN-TV Video: Matterport to Add Recurring Hosting Charge for Archive Models? | Video courtesy of WGAN-TV YouTube Channel | 1 May 2023 WGAN Forum Podcast | Episode #188 Matterport to Add Recurring Hosting Charge for Archive Models? Monday, 1 May 2023 Commentary and Analysis by: Dan Smigrod Founder and Managing Editor We Get Around Network and WGAN-TV Podcast Matterport will likely brief Matterport Channel Partners on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 on new Matterport pricing in 2023 – that includes a hosting charge for Matterport archived spaces, according to sources. If true, a charge for cloud hosting for archived Matterport spaces could potentially generate millions of dollars in new annual recurring revenue for Matterport (and reduce Matterport’s expense for Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud storage. Tuesday, May 9, 2023 is also the day Matterport announces first quarter 2023 fiscal results during a live webcast with financial analysts. Given that Matterport stock (NASDAQ: MTTR) is down 92 percent from its all time high ($27.86 per share) and closed Friday, April 28, 2023 at $2.33: $0.02 above its all time low of $2.31 per share, I imagine that Matterport will also announce this potential multi-million dollar annual recurring revenue stream during this live webcast ( that anyone can listen to. The dial-in number at 4:30 pm ET will be 412-902-4209, conference ID: 10176795 ). Matterport did a scheduled Matterport Cloud maintenance on Saturday, April 15, 2023 that included the Matterport Shopping Cart; Matterport Purchases and Matterport Model Processing. This may be further evidence of potential hosting charges for Matterport spaces. I am just speculating here that Matterport could conceivably generate $108 million in new annual recurring revenue if it charged $1 per month per space in hosting 9 million Matterport spaces. I imagine that potential new cloud hosting charges for archived models do not apply to Matterport Classic Pricing that already includes cloud hosting charges. Matterport does not break-out subscription revenue by Classic Pricing, New Pricing and Enterprise Pricing. And, I imagine that cloud hosting charges would not apply to Enterprise contracts until if/when renegotiated). Matterport has 9.2 million spaces under management as of December 31, 2022,” according to the 2023 Matterport 10-K Form filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on 27 April 2023. I imagine new charges for hosting would be effective 30 days after the Matterport customers’ current monthly billing; or effective with the annual billing renewal. Suggestion: upgrade to a Matterport annual contract prior to Tuesday, 9 May 2023. This may delay the potential new hosting charge – or other potential pricing changes – for 12 months. I could imagine that Matterport will also announce that it will start enforcing gaming Matterport Classic Pricing and Matterport New Pricing as I described in the WGAN Forum four years ago (See: How to game the new Matterport Pricing) which enable Matterport Classic pricing customers to “transfer spaces from “New” to “Classic” plans for free: something that Matterport announced it would stop effective 31 January 2021, according to a Matterport eBlast of 31 January 2021, but may not have. Interestingly, in the Matterport eBlast of 31 January 2021, Matterport said (in part): 1. “Classic” plans aren’t going anywhere. Our community would not be where it is without the early bets placed by the charter members of our community who subscribed to our “Classic” plans. We will therefore continue to support these plans fully. If you are happy with the “Classic” plan, rest assured we are not taking them away. We are happy for you to keep using those plans, without one caveat, which we are spelling out below: 2. The ability to transfer spaces from “New” to “Classic” plans for free will be removed, effective 1/31/21. Our new plan subscribers represent the majority of Matterport customers. As such it is important we keep parity of features between both sets of plans but that we also maintain fairness across our customer base. While the ability for “Classic” plan holders to transfer over spaces from “New” accounts for free has technically existed for a while, it created an unintended exploitation of our commercial terms that undermined the value offered to the majority of our customers. As such, we will remove this ability for all “Classic” plan holders, effective January 31st, 2021. 3. “New” plans are designed to meet you where you are. We designed our “New” plans to offer Matterport community members the best of both worlds: unlimited model processing and the ability to archive unlimited models so you never have to delete your work. If your business requires special considerations beyond what we offer in our “Classic” or “New” Starter/Business/Professional tiers, we are here to help. Simply contact Matterport Sales. While my impression is that Matterport has already failed to live up to the commitment stated above – there are Matterport Showcase features that Matterport “Classic” accounts are not available in Matterport “New” pricing and the Matterport Pro3 Camera will not work with a Matterport “Classic” account – it will be interesting to see if Matterport has amnesia when it briefs Matterport Channel Partners on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 on new Matterport Pricing in 2023 by eliminating and (attempting to convert) Matterport customers with Matterport Classic pricing to new Matterport Pricing in 2023 (even if it is with 12 months notice). Matterport has a long history of betrayal of trust issues with its early adapters. You can read more on this topic by Googling: An Open Letter to Matterport CEO Bill Brown or reviewing the We Get Around Network Forum topics tagged: 1. Matterport Kerfuffle 2. Trust 3. Matterport Ecosystem 4. Sneaky 5. Poaching 6. Stealing Matterport promised not to compete with Matterport Service Providers in its webinar announcing Matterport Capture Services On Demand on Thursday, 16 April 2020. (The transcript of the webinar and the Matterport slide deck can be found in the We Get Around Network Forum.) And, that’s before Matterport acquired VHT Studios and started offering the Matterport Digital Pro package at $299: likely less than what many Matterport Service Providers would typically charge a real estate agent for the same bundle. I imagine that Matterport Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer RJ Pittman will not be asking Matterport’s former CEO, Bill Brown, about what was promised during his tenure. Matterport and its former CEO are currently involved in litigation, according to the 2023 Matterport 10-K SEC filing (pages 28-29). Even if Matterport announces that it is charging $0.50 per month per model per month for achieved models and that only applies to – I am guessing – half the 4.6 million spaces under management, it’s still $27.6 million. Compare that to the $73.8 million in Matterport subscription revenue reported in the year ending 21 December 2022 (according to 2023 Matterport’s 10-K SEC filing) and you can see how adding a recurring hosting revenue line-item can substantially increase Matterport’s revenue. When Matterport launched its new pricing in 2019, I imagine that it dramatically under-estimated what it would cost to host millions of archived models. Presently, there is no incentive to delete models: just archive them and not “count” towards the monthly or annual billing At the extreme, an insurance company, in theory, could create NS archive millions of Matterport spaces for $69 per month – 25 active spaces – and only make the Matterport spaces active when there is an insurance claim. That said, if Matterport does move forward with new Matterport Pricing in 2023 – that includes a charge for cloud hosting of archived models – I anticipate that existing Matterport customers will revisit Matterport competitors: 1. 3D/360 virtual tour/digital twin platforms (200+ that WGAN tracks) 2. 3D/360 virtual tour/digital cameras (50+ that WGAN tracks) While some will likely complain in the We Get Around Network Forum – if Matterport does announce new recurring charges for archived Matterport models – many Matterport Service Providers are also engaged by Matterport Capture Services On Demand or VHT Studios and likely fear retribution or are concerned about violating likely non-disclosure agreements. So, many Matterport customers may simply switch to different 3D/360 virtual tour/digital twin platforms and 3D/360 virtual tour/digital twin cameras (without publicly complaining). After reviewing the Matterport executive team compensation - heavily weighted with stock options - as disclosed in the Matterport official notification to shareholders (Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on April 27, 2023), it doesn’t surprise me that Matterport executives will likely do something that will dramatically affect the company’s bottom line (and potentially the price of the Matterport stock). I continue to be amazed that Matterport market capitalization is $683 million while the company’s balance sheet includes $473 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, as of 31 December 2022, as reported in the 2023 Matterport 10-K SEC filing (page 77). I continue to think of Matterport as a potential take-over target and that the acquisition could be nearly paid for with Matterport’s cash. In my mind, this means the Matterport executive team is likely willing to tolerate complaints from its customers about changing the business model for Matterport (and its customers). If Matterport does publicly announces a new pricing strategy on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, WGAN-TV Live at 5 will hold a live Town Hall on New Matterport Pricing in 2023 - via Zoom - at 5 pm ET on Thursday, May 11, 2023 for Matterport Service Providers to share and discuss how the new Matterport pricing affects them. To join in the WGAN-TV Live at 5 Town Hall: New Matterport Pricing in 2023 – via Zoom – this We Get Around Network short link will be working, starting at 4:45 pm ET Thursday, May 11, 2023: WGAN.INFO/TownHall (Matterport executives are invited to explain its new Matterport pricing in 2023 – including what and why – and to answer questions from Matterport Service Providers.) I recommend reserving any comments until if/when Matterport makes new 2023 pricing public. It is possible that my sources are not correct that Matterport will likely brief Matterport Channel Partners on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 on new Matterport pricing – that includes a hosting charge for Matterport archived digital twins – for Matterport spaces. For updates, please visit We Get Around Network Forum. |
||
| Post 1 • IP flag post | ||
|
Jamie private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I'm not sure many people would pay for unused archived models. We have around 30,000 of them, and 99% will be deleted if this happens. Seems like a way to lose a lot of scanned spaces for MP and I'm sure there stock price will reflect this. |
||
| Post 2 • IP flag post | ||
|
dave3d private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I'm guessing they'll be removed from the MSP archives but sincerely doubt they'll "vanish". My guess is they'll retain archived in some format that a database or AI can retrieve. I'd read this more as your rights to archived tours are gone than as the tour has been permanently deleted. Always interesting and a new twist in the road on the bleeding edge of tech. It's still the Wild West of Matterport at this stage. Guess we'll see if they go below $2/share or back up though. Good thing they have a pile of cash to work with. Regardless archiving tours has a value above 0. How much? If you're right guess we're about to find out how much the market will bear. |
||
| Post 3 • IP flag post | ||
|
Expertise private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Just keep bitin' the hand that feeds ya. | ||
| Post 4 • IP flag post | ||
|
|
Jamie private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Yep, I can see a lot of people moving off their platform. I somehow don't think people will be paying thousands a month on dormant scans. If we kept ours, it would be half a million CAD a year in storage fees. Yeah, not happening, they already get enough from us. | ||
| Post 5 • IP flag post | ||
|
BillJones private msg quote post Address this user | |
| They need to allow us to download and store out own work. We may not be able to display it, but could resubmit it if needed. The only thing they have done well is making all the realtors use the word Matterport instead of 360 tour. | ||
| Post 6 • IP flag post | ||
|
Sdoughtie private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Matterport boasts that they have the largest dataset of geospatial data and will lose most of it if they do this. I’ll just download the data and delete them. If I need them again, I’ll just resubmit the job. | ||
| Post 7 • IP flag post | ||
 WGAN FanClub Member Queensland, Australia |
Wingman private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Sdoughtie Not necessary, they will keep it to themselves so it will be deleted only for a user not for them. Quote: Originally Posted by Sdoughtie That's exactly what I am going to do too. Good luck to Matterport for getting anything paid by me for my archive. I have been using it because it is free. If it is not I will completelly ignore archive feature unless my client will pay their fees. Also when people like you and me decide they need a model again we will be contributing to processing servers to be slow because we will be processing models that Matterport has been processed already. Imagine everybody will do the same so it will just make their server software to work harder with this extra load while Matterport is not even getting any new 3D data for research and AI training. |
||
| Post 8 • IP flag post | ||
|
GarySnyder private msg quote post Address this user | |
| The question for this group is once we delete the VT's we have produced and been paid for by our clients they should be deleted from their servers. I know this is not the case for MP as they will state it is there technology which rendered the VT so they have the right to retain these VT. I like everyone of you know this is not the case and it's a point I have been making for almost 10 years as one of the very first individual's to shoot VT's with MP. My Pro 1 serial number A113 most likely the 13th camera of the first production line. In Europe we have laws know as GDPR which strictly enforces the use of data no matter what form it is. It strictly states that data must be deleted if that is the intent of the user. There is no question that the data which produced our VT's is our property as everyone of us have bought and paid for our cameras just as many of us have bought and paid for our Nikon's or Canon's to shoot pic's. This said MP uses our images we own to produce VT's. Once we the owners who have allowed MP to use the images/pictures we have shot decide to delete these it is MP's responsibility to delete these. GDPR rules state is we the photographers wish to have these images/pictures deleted we can request a verification that these images/pictures have been deleted. If they are not then the authorities can take legal action with very heavy fines imposed for each offence. I'm not sure if we have a lawyer or a solicitor in our group if so I'd like to get their reading on MP retaining our VT/images/pictures so they can boost that they have 9.2 VT's in their DB. I have alway said that we own our images and it's now time to take the next step in claiming what is rightfully ours to decide what we as photographers wish to do with the images we had shot with the our MP cameras. I might add here one last comment if MP had loaned us the cameras then they might be entitled to hold ownership of our images/pictures but this is not the case. I await the teams comments as finally we may have some grounds to enforce our ownership in the images/pictures we have shot in determining their final out come. |
||
| Post 9 • IP flag post | ||
|
|
BillJones private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Matterport boasts that they have the largest dataset of geospatial data and will lose most of it if they do this. I’ll just download the data and delete them. If I need them again, I’ll just resubmit the job I have never seen an option for downloading the data. Where and how?? |
||
| Post 10 • IP flag post | ||
|
|
Sdoughtie private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by BillJones There is no way that I have imagined this. There was an option inside the app that would let you download your scan data from MP. I can't even find the thread that we talked about this. |
||
| Post 11 • IP flag post | ||
|
WGAN Fan Club Member Queensland, Australia |
Wingman private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Once scan data from the capture app is uploaded and processed and you have a tour on your account you can download all scan data to your capture app. And I have tested it and it even works with downloading compatible job data to Android for example even though an original job has been done and uploaded with Ipad. TO use it you need to go to Spaces in the capture app, select the tour you want job data for, click three dots and choose "Restore job data" to start downloading it to your Capture app. With combination with archive it actually allows to have a tour and job data stored in Matterport for you to have both later when you need it. The only problem that it won't you restore from archived space but you can just make it active for download job data and archive again after you finish. There is also export/import in the capture app and that's what @Sdoughtie refers to. It allows to archive job data directly in the capture app and choose where you want to store it. I simply moved them on an external HDD. I used to use it a lot before Matterport added archive to the workshop. It was just more convenient as I could have more space on my Ipad and I could get job data back using Import and restoring it from the archive created on my external HDD for it. So if they make archive a paid feature I will just go back to Export/Import in the app. Inconvenient? Yes! Sad that Matterport does not understand that it is a bad way? Yes! However it is not the end of the world yet. |
||
| Post 12 • IP flag post | ||
|
|
Sdoughtie private msg quote post Address this user | |
| thanks! I had to log out and back in to get the spaces to populate. | ||
| Post 13 • IP flag post | ||
|
|
BillJones private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Anyone have a good reason this isn't available on the desktop version. | ||
| Post 14 • IP flag post | ||
|
WGAN Forum Founder & WGAN-TV Podcast Host Atlanta, Georgia |
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Another source writes: “. . . MP will release new price model [Tuesday]. The price will increase a lot. Maybe you can warn WGAN friends to finish some payment today . . .” Dan |
||
| Post 15 • IP flag post | ||
|
|
dave3d private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I haven't seen anything yet. Did we get new pricing? | ||
| Post 16 • IP flag post | ||
|
WGAN Forum Founder & WGAN-TV Podcast Host Atlanta, Georgia |
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user | |
 Text Me 5 Minutes Before WGAN-TV is Live | WGAN-TV Live at 5 Town Hall: New Matterport Pricing in 2023 | Guests: Matterport Service Providers | Episode: 188 | Wednesday, 17 May 2023 | www.WGAN.INFO/TownHall (This link will work 15 minutes prior to air.) WGAN Forum (9 May 2023) Matterport to Announce Subscription Prices Changes on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 |
||
| Post 17 • IP flag post | ||
|
WGAN Forum Founder & WGAN-TV Podcast Host Atlanta, Georgia |
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by dave3d Matterport pricing announcement moved to Tuesday, May 16, 2023. Please see above post. Thanks, Dan |
||
| Post 18 • IP flag post | ||
Pages:
1This topic is archived. Start new topic?