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Why Adobe’s Creative Cloud Suite is Economical for SMEs

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Srinivasan
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Q: How does the Cloud play a part in Adobe's "Creative Cloud" suite?

Tegel: The programs will not be hosted in the cloud, but you will be  downloading the apps from the cloud to the desktop. There are 3 main ways in which the cloud comes into play. Firstly, the cloud is used as the  mechanism to get access to every new feature and function that is developed for the creative cloud. Once or twice a month, the software automatically checks for updates, and either the apps can be allowed to automatically update themselves or can be manually updated. Secondly, having cloud storage means that users never have to worry about losing their files or space to store the media-heavy files, as it will be automatically uploaded to Adobe's servers. Thirdly, the cloud provides the Adobe community and technical service that you can share any of your creative material with, and no other product will offer such an involved community.

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Q: How secure is the sharing of content from Creative Cloud?

Bedi: When you look at Internet banking in India 5 years ago, it was pretty much non-existent. However, now using OTP and HTTPS encryption, transactions are being done securely. We believe our data is offering security equal to those used by the department of defence, as no-one has been able to crack 256-bit encryption until now. Firstly, all of the data being shared from the cloud is transmitted using 256-bit HTTPS protocol. Additionally, the actual data is also encrypted with a 256-bit key at rest. The moment you stored any Adobe files in the cloud, you can use Creative Cloud (CC) Team to  collaborate, by making comments on the file, giving feedback, and even downloading and altering it. The CC Team also uses versioning, so even if a collaborator downloads,recreates the design and uploads it to the cloud, the originator will have to accept the changes to overwrite the original file. The system maintains versions of the file so rollback can be performed. This is an important security feature that cannot be overlooked.

Q: What are the key differences between CC for teams and CC for  individuals?

Tegel: If a large design agency is working on a project, they will have different personnel who are responsible perpetual CS6 master suite, pricing is a function of many factors, including government taxes. If a government charges more, it will drive the price of the product up. However, for the cloud membership, we keep the pricing as consistent as possible. For example, we introduced a promotional pricing in India until April 30th which is exactly the same price we offer in the US as a promotion.

Q: How is the Adobe Creative Cloud membership cost-effective compared to buying the CS6 master collection?

Bedi: The master collection is priced at around Rs.1,76,000 while the Creative Cloud membership is priced around Rs. 34,000/ year. Many customers I have seen buy a version, then skip 2 upgrade cycles and go straight to the 3rd upgrade and buy a new version. Some buy maintenance for 5 years, which costs about 20% of the price of the product per

year. This means the total cost of ownership over a 5 year period goes up to around Rs 3.5 lakhs. On the other hand, a 5-year subscription to the Creative Cloud will only cost Rs 1,70,000 at the end of 5 years. Additionally, the creative cloud will be constantly updated and offers 16 Adobe products plus a host of value-added services such as storage and expert technical support.

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Q: Among the new applications available in the Creative Cloud suite, which will excite designers/developers the most?

Bedi: More than 40% of members of Creative Cloud have downloaded Adobe Muse, which was made to create some love between designers and developers! If I am a designer who designs a website in Photoshop, I can take the saved project file, import it into Muse and convert it into a functional HTML website without writing a single line of code! This is a huge boon for web designers who wish to convert their artistic vision into the final product without having any technical knowledge!

Q: Will the Adobe Creative Cloud be affordable for the SMB market in India?

Bedi: We work with 7-8 SMB industries in depth, including the newspaper societies, photo studios, book publishers, textiles and jewellery businesses, who make up a majority of the design-centric businesses in India. Most of them are spending between Rs.2000-2500 on their Internet connection a month. If we break this amount up, a Creative Cloud membership will cost around Rs. 2885/month, so it is a reasonable amount for most SMBs! Additionally, for the value we are providing with the extensive number of applications provided, SMBs are not showing any pushback in terms of price. Since our Creative Cloud Suite is fully compliant, they also have the assurance of software compliance in the workplace.

Currently, Adobe Creative Cloud for teams is available in India with a one-year plan of US$840/user. If purchased directly from Adobe, the user will be billed on a monthly basis (US$69.99/month). Creative Cloud can also be purchased from resellers, who have a right to price at their own discretion.

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