March 2000 SOFTIMAGE|3D 3.9 was the first release distributed via “the world wide web”.
The SOFTIMAGE|3D Version 3.9 release also represents a milestone for the company as it will be the first ever release that Softimage distributes to customers via the world wide web. Rather than waiting the customary 6-8 weeks that it takes for reproduction and shipping, customers under a valid support contract will be able to log on to the Softimage Support web site to download the software.
eX-SI 
Well, the problem with the move from physical software delivery to online delivery always has been IMHO the blatant way the software companies led us users to believe this was primarily done for our benefit, while the truth of the matter obviously was, that the companies more often than not benefited even more.
And personally I would have thought users of Softimage|3D, which wasn’t exactly cheap IIRC, would still for the most part have preferred the physical shipment, as it gave them more of a feeling, that they knew where the money went. I know I personally preferred that back in the day when it still was a realistic option with much cheaper software
😉