Article in the The Enterprise System Spectator.

If you have not yet purchased the system, understand that your negotiating power will never be greater than before you sign on the dotted line. Maintenance fees as a percent of the license cost are not cast in stone. Everything is negotiable. For example, ask for a lower percentage. Ask for maintenance fees to be based on the discounted price of the software, not the list price. Ask for maintenance fees to be locked in, not allowing the vendor to increase fees from year to year.

Personally, I like to buy something and know that I actually own it. Quickbooks is notorious for add-on fees. Even though I paid $300.00 or so for QuickBooks Professional, there is still a $150.00/year fee for updating the payroll tables. (and I have a huge payroll of 1 person).  After two years or so, they require you to buy a  new version as the updates don’t work with the older version. Its a rip-off.