Purchasing Adobe Software
Adobe Systems, Inc. has chosen to discontinue selling its signature Adobe Creative Suite (CS) software applications and bundled sets. This software, made available to us via Adobe’s Cumulative License Program (CLP), could be purchased on DVDs using perpetual licensing, allowing the customer to pay once for the licensed software then use that software indefinitely. Although one could buy any single Adobe application they desired, the software was usually purchased in bundled suites, such as the Design Standard, Design & Web Premium, Production Premium and Master Collections.
Going forward, Adobe is replacing the Creative Suite with Adobe Creative Cloud, a collection of cloud-based “software as a service” applications. While Creative Cloud applications are available for purchase either individually or in their entirety as a bundled set, they are now available to customers only through annual licensing as part of the Adobe Value Incentive Plan (VIP). Annual licensing allows the customer to purchase the licensed software only for one year at a time. When an annual license expires, the software stops working unless the user renews their subscription to that annual license.
This change in licensing will have implications for users wanting to purchase and use most Adobe products.
Types of Licensing
There are two types of annual licensing available when purchasing Adobe Creative Cloud products under the Adobe VIP program: Device Licenses and Named-User Licenses. Your department LAN Manager, as a VIP Administrator, will assist you with the purchase, installation and administration of your Creative Cloud applications licenses, whichever sort of licensing you end up using.
Be reminded that you must renew their annual licenses within 30 days of the license expiration date. If you do not renew their annual license subscriptions on time, you will no longer be able to use your Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
Important Considerations To Remember
Here is a list of things to bear in mind when using annual licensing of Adobe products:
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If you don’t pay on time for subscription renewals, your access to Adobe Creative Cloud products will cease until you renew the subscription.
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You can choose to change, add or remove applications from your selection of Creative Cloud applications, but only during the final 30 days of your annual subscription. For example, if you decide you don’t need the entire Creative Cloud Complete suite of applications, you can choose to drop the Creative Cloud Complete bundle and go with, say, only PhotoShop and Illustrator.
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Computers must connect to Adobe servers for initial activation, and then at least once every 99 days thereafter to remain activated. If you do not use at least one of your applications every 99 days, your license may lapse and need to be reactivated with assistance from your LAN Manager.
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Be reminded that, unlike with perpetual licensing, if Adobe decides to stop offering a given cloud-based application, you will no longer have access to that application at all. This is not likely to occur with its popular applications such as PhotoShop, Illustrator or Dreamweaver. But if you decide to use, say, Adobe Muse (which allows website designers to create websites without having to write any code), and Adobe later decides it doesn’t want to support Muse anymore, Adobe can remove Muse from the Creative Cloud bundle, thus leaving you without access to that application.
Some additional points to remember if you are using a Named-User License:
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You must never store any UTHealth data on the Adobe Cloud. It is a violation of UTHealth security policy to store UTHealth data on unauthorized cloud servers.
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You must never store any UTHealth data on personal computers. It is a violation of UTHealth security policy to store HIPAA and/or FERPA data on personal computers.
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If you leave or are terminated from the University, your access to the cloud software license will be automatically removed.
Adobe Products Now Available Only Via Annual Licensing
Following is a list of Adobe software applications that were formerly available individually and/or as part of the Creative Suite 6 (CS6) via perpetual licensing, but will now be available only through annual subscription licensing. All pricing is for Device Licensing;
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Adobe Creative Cloud Complete (replaces Creative Suite 6): $281.30 per device per year, includes all of the Creative Cloud applications at a single price
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Adobe After Effects: $146.20 per device per year
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Adobe Audition: $146.20 per device per year
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Adobe Behance: Included with Cloud Complete
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Adobe Bridge: Included with Cloud Complete
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Adobe Dreamweaver: $146.20 per device per year
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Adobe Edge: Free version included with Cloud Complete, or for $50 per month as complete package
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Adobe Flash Professional: $146.20 per device per year
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Adobe Illustrator: $146.20 per device per year
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Adobe InCopy: $146.20 per device per year
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Adobe InDesign: $146.20 per device per year
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Adobe Muse: $146.20 per device per year
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Adobe PhotoShop: $146.20 per device per year
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Adobe Premiere Pro: $146.20 per device per year
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC (the successor to Adobe Acrobat XI Professional) and Adobe Captivate are NOT affected by this change at this time, and remain available for purchase with perpetual license and media installer.
Adobe Fireworks and Adobe Encore have been discontinued, but both programs remain available as licensed downloads as part of the Creative Cloud system.
Adobe Contribute, Adobe Device Central, Adobe OnLocation, and Adobe Soundbooth have also been discontinued and will no longer be available.
Replacement Products For Adobe Applications
If you find yourself unable or unwilling to purchase or use the Adobe Creative Cloud suite of products, you can review this page listing products that could serve as replacement software for Adobe products.