The future of Adobe: Subscription-only

With that said, is Cloud appropriate for you or your organization? Below are some of the top questions for Adobe Creative Cloud that can help you make your decision.

Will perpetual licenses still be available?
Yes. Adobe has stated that they will continue selling CS6 (the current version) indefinitely at their current price point.

What are the perks of Creative Cloud?
For a nominal annual fee, you are given access to the entire suite of Adobe products - this includes Acrobat, Lightroom, in addition to the staples such as Photoshop, and Illustrator. You will also be getting Cloud-only products such as Adobe Muse and Adobe Edge. Additionally, every time Adobe releases a new product or update (which appears to be annually, based on previous statements), you are automatically entitled to that and have the option to do so.

Do I need to be connected to the Internet to use it?
With Creative Cloud, your programs will be downloaded and installed directly on your computer, so you won't need an ongoing Internet connection to use them on a daily basis. The only time you need to be online is when you initially install and license your software. If you have an annual membership, you'll be asked to connect to the web to validate your software licenses every 30 days. However, you'll be able to still use products for 99 days even if you're unable to do this validation process.

Will all my files be lost if I don't pay?
If you cancel your paid membership, you will still have access to the Cloud storage under the free level of membership, which provides 2GB of storage. You will have a 90-day grace period to download your files to your local machine, and delete online files to get your cloud storage down to 2GB. Additionally, you can purchase additional storage separately if you choose. If you leave more than 2GB of files in your cloud storage for more than 90 days, you may lose access to some or all of your files. If you save the files onto your computer (which you should!), you'll still retain access and will be able to open them with compliant software.

Do I have to download and install everything in the Cloud?
No. Creative Cloud lets you install each application individually whenever it works best for you. Mix and match whatever you want - you have the freedom to choose which applications to install.

Is the fee monthly or annual?
Creative Cloud for teams offers the best price and will require an annual commitment. The fee will need to be paid up-front.

How many installations do I get?
Like the perpetual licenses, you will receive two (2) installations per license. You cannot have them active simultaneously.

Is it compatible with Mac or Windows?
Creative Cloud is compatible with both platforms. When downloading the application manager, it'll automatically detect your operating system and choose the correct platform. As a minimum, you will need either Windows 7 or Mac OSX v10.7.

With Creative Cloud, you'll have the same top tier tools as industry professionals. You don't have to worry about compatibility issues, feature differences, nor do you have to deal with the staggering cost of upgrading. By effectively normalizing what license every user has, you can streamline your training process, follow guides without uncertainty, and treat software as an operating expense, rather than as a capital expense.

Adobe Creative Cloud for Teams is available to be purchased from our website.