Adobe sends out updates to Cloud Members only

File this under 'News that's not news': Adobe has released updates to some Creative Suite applications that are available only to people who are subscribing to the Creative Suite. If you purchased the suite outright, you won't be getting this update (at least, not immediately.)

Lots of people are complaining (Adobe announces updates for cloud members only! | HD Warrior) but if you read Adobe's press releases, or attended any of their presentations when they announced CS6, you couldn't have missed that Adobe explicitly signaled their intention to do this.

Of course, they didn't phrase it as "we are going to release new features only to subscribers." Instead, they explained that having people subscribe would enable them to offer new features much faster.....[it's an accounting thing, or something...-Ed]

For Adobe it's a win-win situation:

  • Subscribers get frequent updates, which encourages customers to switch to the subscription model.
  • The subscription model makes it harder to illegally copy software
  • Adobe gets a more consistent revenue stream.
  • It ties their customers closer to them. Customers who previously bought every second or third update who convert to a subscription model will now be paying every year. 
  • If a customer wants to switch to another platform, they are still tied to Adobe; they won't be able to open their older projects if they suspend their subscription. So if you switched to Avid, you'd still want to keep subscribing to Premiere for some time to come.

A subscription also means that customers are less likely to flee when the price increases. Sure, they will complain, but they can't just sit on their hands and not buy the next release if they think the price is too high. They'll have to keep paying that monthly subscription or they won't be able to launch their copy of Photoshop or Premiere.

Comments

Adobe user said…
I bought the box addition of CS6 and via Adobe Updater I'm getting notifications of updates all the time, with the option to download them. Is this somehow different than the updates that Adobe Cloud sends to customers?
Dec 17, 2012, 7:53:00 PM
Jon said…
And I thought software activation was bad. I stopped with CS3 and have no intention of ever providing Adobe with any more of my money. I refuse to do business with an institution that wants my money, but contemptuously treats me as a thief. After years of giving Adobe my customer loyalty (admittedly easy to do when there is little, if any, competition), I left the publishing industry my career was based in and which was so dependent on Adobe products. Never again.
Dec 17, 2012, 7:59:00 PM
Goon65 said…
Piss on the cloud!
Dec 17, 2012, 8:44:00 PM
Rafael said…
It seems as a form on monopoly on Adobe's part and consumers should not fall for it. You should not be held captive to a subscription that continues to suck out your hard earn money, while providing you with very little in service. This has the same tendencies as charging you a high ATM charge for your debit card, but in this case it's your purchased software.
Dec 18, 2012, 6:47:00 AM
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