Customers require "softwired" hardware (Score 1)

...it should not require "upgrades" or "installation" later on, it should just work.

I agree that hardware should not require upgrades later on. But for our powerFFT card, many customers require special data conversion or memory addressing schemes. If we have to redesign the "hardwired" hardware, the cost would skyrocket!. But with VHDL, we design and test the new configuration and put it in an EEPROM before shipping. Then for the customer our device "just works".