What Adobe's Move To The Cloud Means To Your Business

It's been less than a year since Adobe announced it would no longer be selling packaged software, going instead with a 100 percent cloud-based platform. Yet still, many users aren't sure what the Adobe Creative Cloud is. Unless they use Photoshop or Illustrator, most users probably won't see any difference. After all, mass consumer products like Reader and Flash have resided in the cloud for years. The remainder of Adobe's products have simply joined them.

What is the Creative Cloud?

There's a common misconception that cloud apps always reside completely in the cloud, with users only able to access them through a web browser. But cloud-connected services like Carbonite and Microsoft have proven that a product can communicate with the cloud while still residing on a user's device.

Like those other products, Adobe's Creative Cloud moves the installation files to the web while still letting the user work directly on a device. Instead of carrying media around to individually install it on each device, this means support staff can access all installation files from Adobe's website. Because Adobe tracks license keys, the company can prevent piracy while the business can also ensure 100 percent compliance.

Non-Adobe Users

Even if your business doesn't use Adobe products, this move could directly impact you eventually. Adobe's controversial move is inspiring to the few other major software manufacturers who are still providing installation files on CD. From a software provider perspective, a subscription-based model means businesses are consistently paying for the latest version, rather than purchasing a version of a product and continuing to use it for four years or longer.

But for your business, this move to a subscription-based model has definite benefits. For larger businesses, keeping collaborating employees on the same software versions has historically proven very challenging for IT staff. One user may be on Microsoft Word XP, for instance, while another is on Word 2010. This required a compatibility pack to be installed for those users to merely exchange files. With a cloud-based subscription model, all users are automatically upgraded to the latest version, allowing them to take advantage of all of the newest features.

The Downside

But there are negatives associated with cloud ownership. Some business users have expressed dissatisfaction over the "price control" nature of a subscription model. With a monthly rate, prices can be increased at any time. Previously, businesses could purchase one set of installation media and a license every few years.

Businesses with those concerns could choose an annual commitment option. Not only does this often provide a slightly lower monthly rate, but it also locks that price in for at least a year. A subscription model also gives software manufacturers the option of rolling out new features gradually, rather than saving them for the next major version change. So businesses with those concerns may find that they enjoy gradual improvements over waiting every few years to see the features they want.

Adobe's cloud-only approach is likely only the beginning of a shift toward a cloud-centric world. Businesses considering making the shift with their own media-dependent installations should fully research what they'll get by switching to a cloud version vs. staying the course.