The Pros and Cons of Adobe’s Subscription Model

The products in the Adobe Creative Suite are currently available only as part of a subscription. But there is plenty of other areas at Adobe that are eyeing a seismic shift, as the plans are to switch the Acrobat licenses from a purchase to a subscription model as well. Lourens Klootwijk, SoftwareONE Solution Advisor Digital Content, gives his take on the pros and cons of Adobe’s subscription model.

Adobe’s subscription model means that customers acquire a 12-month subscription that they pay annually, giving them then flexibility to renew the licenses yearly or to cancel the subscription. There is also an option to assign a provisional license to another user.

• Simple compliance management and control.
• The option to assign licenses to another user.
• Constant availability of the latest software.
• Predictable budgeting (OPEX).
• The licenses are immediately available and ready to use out-of-the-box.
• Extra features compared with the purchase model.
• Additional discount for combining Acrobat and Creative products.

• Virtual desktop infrastructures (VDIs) currently do not support the subscription model licenses, and they do not run in a Citrix environment.
• The granted usage right is temporary, not permanent.
• License management in the subscription model causes additional work.

• An annual subscription comes with a discount on licenses of up to 10%. This discount applies to all additional purchases during the contractual term.
• A three-year contract provides up to 15% discount on licenses.
• Creative Cloud and Acrobat licenses are combinable in the subscription model, so customers can benefit from additional discounts. 

• Editing of texts and arranging of pages on mobile devices.
• Rearrange, delete and move PDF pages on mobile devices.
• Electronic transmission, monitoring and backup of documents.
• Conversion of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign files into a PDF format from any workstation or mobile device.
• Collection of electronic signatures and tracking of responses. 

It is reasonable to expect that licenses will only be available as part of a subscription model in future, and that the purchase model will be withdrawn. That’s why it is high time to get used to the new model.