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Question

Why We're Not Signing Up To Adobe Creative Cloud.

Forum|Forum|12 years ago
June 12, 2013
5 replies
24764 views

I've spent quite a lot of time looking at the implications of the new 'Creative Cloud' deal for our company. I have decided that for us, it's a very BAD deal indeed...

1: As a UK company the list price for Creative Cloud %152 the US price. CC for teams here works out at $102/user/month. The exact same software and online solution for half as much again as US users are being asked for. We can't see any justification for this market segmentation. Adobe software has always cost a lot more to worldwide users outside the US marketplace, but with a 'cloud-based' product delivered entirely online (under the new CC regime) how on Earth, can these price differences continue to be justified?

2: Creative Cloud for teams is being charged at a considerably higher rate than for individuals. Buying numerous seats and being a loyal customer will actually cost a lot more than the per-seat price for individual users. The 'Teams' offer does include increased cloud storage, but we just don't need this, and don't expect to be charged more per seat for the priviledge of being a multi-user customer.

3: Subscription at the advertised rates is not only too expensive, it just doesn't suit us at all. As many have said before, we upgrade our software when we can afford it. Our business is sporadic, so we prefer to be in control of our spending. The subsciption model represents a constant drain on our resources. If Adobe want to offer a subscription model, then that's fine for those that might want it, but the option to buy software shouldn't be withdrawn from the customers who prefer to purchase their software outright.

4: Creative Cloud includes a lot of things we don't need. We don't actually need to be paying Adobe for cloud storage of our projects. We didn't ask for 100GB of cloud storage per team user, and we certainly shouldn't be paying for it out of our software spend.

5: Monopolistic Behaviour. With customers on a monthly subscription, Adobe can and will introduce features and increase prices at a pace to suit themselves. As customers, we lose control of how much software we buy and how often. The subscription model of tied-in customers is just bad for us and cetainly bad for innovation and competition in the marketplace.

I encourage users to make their opinions known to Adobe about the new scheme and I sincerely hope that Adobe will give serious consideration to the legitimate concerns of their user-base.

I look forward to the retraction of the 'cloud only' decision soon.

Chris.

This topic has been closed for replies.

T

TadCh3va7

Participating Frequently

I doubt I've got anything new to say but wanted to add my "voice" to those who think the subscription model stinks.

I'm primarily a Photoshop user, Illustrator to a much lesser extent (AcroPro too but I think it's safe so far). I love Photoshop and have been using it from very early on, and practically daily. That said, CS6 is my last purchase. I hope that by the time it has become truly obsolete either a genuinely competitve app will have been developed or Adobe will have changed its policy.

Price is less important to me than other things, even though I've been upgrading all along and the new model will be more expensive. I skipped at least one new release because it didn't appear to add anything I felt I had to have. Mostly, though, I was excited to get the new version and dig in.

I'm horrified at the thought of having an app which simply stops working if I don't pay a monthly fee, an app which, moreover, creates files which aren't backwards compatible. Price becomes an issue when the version goes unchanged (significantly) for over a year--and when Adobe tried to get out a new version every 12 months I felt the "new" releases weren't worth it. Apps shouldn't be improved on a schedule: a good app is improved in any number of ways as new ideas, technology, client suggestions, and so on are deemed important enough to merit the work.

I would go for a subscription to get the newest features if, when you stopped your subscription, the app would continue to work; it just wouldn't get updated/upgraded.

One last thing: I got the impression that lot of people were very excited at the thought of being able to use all the Adobe apps. I very much doubt that anyone will be able to use more than a few apps effectively. If you're a student, it would be great to be able to mess around with any of them to decide if you were interested in a career which would require the use of one or more apps. Having the expertise to use many of them seems unrealistic. The thought never crossed my mind that with a subscription I'd download a large number of the apps. I don't want to (try to) work with something that others have been using professionally.

Adobe, please reconsider the subscription model and give us a choice between different options!

R

Randall B Miller

Inspiring

You're right, using all apps sounds so unlikely, but using MORE apps, at $0

additional cost per app, has really helped me. I tried Adobe Muse for no

real reason, and now I'm making websites for my long term print clients. I

never expected that to happen, or to enjoy it, or make that money. If "all"

had not been available, it would have been unlikely I would have tried

Muse. Having all apps, even if I use a third of them, seems like such a

great opportunity to me. I'm looking forward to trying other ones as I get

the chance.

G

Greg_Bohn

Participating Frequently

> You're right, using all apps sounds so unlikely, but using MORE apps, at $0

> additional cost per app, has really helped me.

Depending on how you look at it. Since you're actually paying for them all, you could look at this as paying no less for not using them all...

Dragonspear

Participating Frequently

I'll second a lot of the thoughts on this thread:

In regards to Adobe's new CC subscription marketing...I don't like it. I don't like it one single bit. In fact, it's caused me to really rethink how I'm going to have to operate my business. The whole benefit to purchasing a product is having it there when you need it, regardless of how out of date it might be. It's also a tease baiting current customers into CC with the 19.99 year price because after your first year you're paying $50 DOLLARS per month! For me, that's more than TWICE a year what I spent from just upgrading software packages.

To me, the subscription system for software is a GREAT idea for those who need to trial the software, or who cannot currently afford to purchase the product as a whole. It's like renting a movie, or a car, or a house instead of going out and purchasing it. Sometimes you need something, but can't afford it...so you borrow/rent/lease it. But, as we all know...those RENT-TO-OWN stores are a complete rip-off. They prey on those who don't have the money or discipline to save up for something they want. ...but I see what Adobe is doing as WORSE! We no longer even get the choice to own...we HAVE to rent it or we don't get it.

For someone like me who has saved up, and wants to OWN that favorite movie, or car, or home, and is going to count on it for their daily use in life, a subscription/rental system means you never really own it. It means you're free to keep it as long as you keep handing someone money. Sure, they'll make sure you always have the recent model...but the minute you stop, someone comes and takes it away from you and you're left to walk to work or find another home. What we're doing now is not purchasing software, we're renting a temporary privilege to use it!

Adobe, I believe this is slap in the face to customers, and it tells me that you are more focused on making money than you are in appealing to "all" customers. You may pick up some renters...but for people like me, it means ...well...honestly, I'm not sure what it means. What do you do when someone tells you that you now have to pay $500 a month to have your car...and that you'll be paying that fee for the REST OF YOUR LIFE without ever actually owning it? ...it kind of makes me wanna ride a bike instead.

Fortunately for me, I have the current model (CS6). I might not be getting the latest and greatest anytime soon...but I believe I have a car right now that can last me quite a few years.

Adobe, I hope you change your stance on this. It's important to have use of your product, even AFTER we've paid thousands of dollars for it. For now, I'm thankful that I have a few licenses under my utility belt...until things change, I plan on hanging on to the current model for as long as possible.

K

Kwan Parker

Participating Frequently

We're customers. Not investors nor stockholders.

Thanks, Madison (ghost adobe moderator) for making this post possible, since it offends no pet.

Was banned from posting from 6/6 to 6/19 for a second offense attacking pro cloud customers.

Not my forum . . . not my rules.

Prior to Adobe Cash Cow, never posted messages reaching anywhere near 100, don't even think post reached half that.

I was pretty much a happy camper updating right up to CS6 Master Collection.

In some areas, Adobe does keep promises . . . on this date I was allowed to post.

Meanwhile, the person I supposedly attacked was featured in an Adobe sidebar. No wonder Adobe loves her. (Is that an attack which gets me suspended or banned?)

Truth will come out about a year or so from now. Discounts end. Surge of enrollments level out. Legacy customers find other software.

Smart major customers like Corel will extend their switch offers beyond thier usual offer. CS6 is still vital and Adobe, though willing, will not be quick to switch. No advantage to Corel customers nor others.

Corel needs to offer something to former Adobe customers, long term.

J

jballman73

Participant

Remember years ago when QuarkXPress had a monopoly on the industry? I feel Adobe is doing the same thing now that they did back then. Within a couple years someone will come out with something better, or at least comparable, and they won't have this same control on the industry. Hopefully anyways...

S

SoilentGreen

Participating Frequently

Remember years ago when QuarkXPress had a monopoly on the industry?

They just announced today, that as of July 1st, they're moving to a one version back upgrade policy.

Dragonspear

Participating Frequently

Good point on portfolio mattering a lot, it sure does, regardless how

produced.

Maybe Corel is better or different than I've been led to believe. I just

know no printer/service wants to receive or work with Corel files

(especially eps). But maybe that's changed lately.

Good luck in your search!

...or it could be because I'm here in Alaska...and we're behind the times. EVERYTHING takes longer to get to Alaska...except winter....winter doesn't take long. ;P

A

Anonymous

Chris I echo the points you noted about the cloud....Adobe is acting like the monopoly it is...

I have formalized my concerns in a letter to the Office of Fair trading and the European Commission on Competition

the commisions email address is comp-greffe-antitrust@ec.europa.eu

H

Halo-Support

Participant

I've not looked into the costs of the US software but I completely agree with you about the cost for purchasing team licenses is considrebly higher than individuals. its a fact its much higher! I just got off the phone with adobe sales, and I was asking about the individual or team licence options. The individual full CC cost is £45p/m whereas the team full CC cost is £65p/m per user!! - WHAT!! why is a team license £20 more per month per user??

The phone operator agreed - "yes, thats expensive". I asked what more I get for the team licence and was told I just get to have one payment and manage the users from one account. It's discusting I should pay an extra £20 per user, per month to do that!! surely Adobe should be encouraging team users as its better for them too! .. attract more users, make more money from less processed payments.

Also Its a real shame there is no Direct Debt payment option, only credit card. DD would be a lot easier. Adobe, please can you do something about this?

Thanks!

D

S

SoilentGreen

Participating Frequently

why is a team license £20 more per month per user??

100GB of cloud storage per person for file sharing and collaboration
That we'll never use.
Centralized administration, purchasing, and license management console
For larger companies, this could be useful, but larger companies should be given this for free, as they're spending LOTS more money than everyone else.
Centralized deployment — package all apps, or a customized subset, for your team
Possibly useful for some...
Flexibility to add or reassign seats when needed
Help / Deactivate / Reinstall on new user's machine, we've done it for years.
Exclusive access to Adobe experts (two 1:1 sessions per user, per year)
That we'll also never use.

Not saying that for some the added features aren't worth it, but $20/month per user to help you manage licenses that at least in our case change only when someone quits, gets fired, or moves to a new position. These tools should be free.

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