Q:

How to value and put a price on software (license)

In my company we often value the software to be almost the same as concurrent software on the market. While this is one way I'm interested of other (maybe more academic) ways of value and put a price on software.
Any ideas or methods that have been succesful for you?

A:

While I'm not always a fan of Joel, this crusty old article from 2004 answers your question very well. You charge based on how many units you think you will sell at that price, with the goal of maximizing profit.

A:

I've done some contract work in the past, and I based my estimate on:

The cost of the man hours to produce the software, from start to finish
Potential money the client saves by using the software
Cost of any planned support for the software
Any other related costs such as installation fees, documentation, training, etc.

Then I compared that to the industry standard. In my case it was usually cheaper, and I still made money. Thus both the client and myself were happy.
Edit:
Mind you the above method is for a single client, with a custom software solution, and a simple unlimited-use license.

A:

If you want to know academic methods for pricing a product, I have an MBA I would like to sell you.
Seriously, it depends on a lot of things.  Are you selling a service, subscription, or a "box"?  Where is your desired position in the market?  What do your customers have to spend?
Listen to your customers and be prepared to change your pricing strategy.  If you ever hear a customer say, "Wow, I was expecting to pay more!", it may be time to raise your prices significantly.

