Archive notice: This article was originally published on May 7, 2013. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Yesterday evening, Adobe announced at the Adobe MAX creativity conference that the new licences would be structured completely differently. With the new version, everything is intended to run through “Creative Cloud”, supplying the industry with software through cloud-based software management and a subscription model.
Adobe justifies the change with the advantages of access to all tools, regular updates and cross-device provision of presets, styles and fonts. We will determine in testing how this works with plug-ins, scripts, AE project files and EDLs for Premiere, or CDLs for SpeedGrade.
According to Adobe, the advantage of the cloud solution is that “you can work on a project anywhere. Files, feedback, fonts, settings and updates are synchronised on every device. The applications themselves are installed locally on your desktop. Not in a browser. Not in the cloud.”
The subscription for the complete software range costs 62 euros per month for private individuals and 86 euros per individual user for companies, and may therefore be cheaper than a “normal licence” under certain circumstances if users work within the update cycle. Until full introduction, there are also offers and discounts for licence switchers who already own Adobe products. Here is the price overview.
It now remains to be seen how quickly implementation follows and how it is received in the industry. Practically everyone works with Photoshop, and other programs such as Premiere and AE also have high market penetration. How file transfer through Adobe Cloud will work for customers with contractually protected confidentiality, notably visualisation and advertising, or how the payment model will look for smaller studios and freelancers remains to be seen.
Here is the open letter to Adobe customers.
