Pantone hot or not? What are the alternatives when specifying color?

We've noted that Pantone has been working hard to make their color system all but exclusive and it's become more and more difficult to specify a color for a manufacturer or vendor using the Pantone Matching System (PMS).

This used to be an easy thing. We've got a ton of Pantone books but all seem to be out of date now. We had used Pantone connect off and on ($90 a year) but you still do not end up with physical color books/swatches. To get a new set of books with adequate coverage would be a fairly costly endeavor. We're willing to invest but not if the Pantone system is going to be difficult to manage.

What color systems are most popular and accessible or is Pantone still the standard?

We need to hand off some color specs for a new brand guide to a sign maker. We've noticed that most Pantone color references have been stripped not only from the internet but from Creative Cloud too.

How is everyone specifying color?