Adobe Switching to Subscription-Based Creative Cloud
Marking a huge change for the company and its customers, Adobe announced today that it will stop selling its Creative Suite software, opting instead to solely support a subscription-only model in its Creative Cloud.
The announcement came at Adobe’s Max conference in Los Angeles, along with news of other major updates for the software.
Adobe, the manufacturer of choice for many creative professionals, said it will not release new versions of its Creative Suite tools such as Photoshop, InDesign, and DreamWeaver. It will continue to sell and provide support for the most recent program, CS6, though it’s uncertain for how long. Replacing the perpetual licenses and boxed-up discs is the Creative Cloud, an online subscription service Adobe debuted a little more than a year ago.
“This gives us the freedom to think differently and help us innovate more quickly,” David Wadhwani, Adobe’s senior vice president and general manager of digital media, said in an interview. “It’s a much more modern business model.”
The Creative Cloud gives subscribers access to all the programs now in the Creative Suite, plus abilities such as file sharing, web publishing, preference syncing among computers, and integration with the online creative network Behance.
One of the biggest shifts in this subscription-only option is that updates can be released as they’re available instead of being held in wait for a new version of the software for customers to buy. Scott Morris, a senior marketing manager for Creative Cloud, said it made more sense to focus on only using the cloud method to distribute the company’s tools.
The cost varies depending on the customer, with the typical price at $49.99 per month for an individual who signs up for a year’s subscription, or $75 per month for signing on to a month-to-month plan. For a limited time, Adobe is discounting the monthly rate to $29.95 for those who own a license for version CS3 and later, and to $19.95 for those who bought the CS6 version released just last year.
Despite the attempt to ease customers into the cloud with reduced prices, judging by the comments left on stories reporting the mandatory move, some current users won’t be sticking with Adobe. Even though a survey of customers already signed up with the Creative Cloud returned mostly positive reviews, those who haven’t yet made the switch are vocal in their concerns about new server requirements, more frequent hefty bills, and simply the idea of not owning the software. As one review on CNET put it, “Adobe is the landlord and it's kicking all the rent-controlled tenants out of its city in the clouds.”
Even so, the tech industry is gradually making a shift to subscriptions, with software heavy hitters Google Apps, Evernote, and Dropbox jumping on board. Supporters say it’s easier on the customer to make steady payments and easier on the provider to distribute constant updates.
If you're already using Creative Cloud, what do you think of it? And if not, will you switch to the cloud-based subscription, or will you start using another brand of creative software?
