Adobe launches Creative Cloud for SMB segment

Adobe Systems India has launched its first software as service (SaaS) model of Creative Cloud for the SMBs segment named Creative Cloud for Teams (CCT) at a very affordable monthly paid model in India. This Saas model is considered to be more economical than its perpetual software. The company will soon announce two more versions of Creative Cloud for individuals and enterprise in the near future.

The launch of Creative Cloud is a commitment of Adobe India to offer affordable, flexible and accessible services of its creative 6 suite with more additional tools like Adobe Muse, Edge animate, Acrobat XI pro, lightroom4 and many other services like training, collaboration and sync under the CCT offering.

To begin, the company is targeting industries like publishing, advertising, printing and many others. Over the time the company has made direct touch a point with 1 mn SMB customers and it is looking at converting these customers to its cloud offerings at a special pricing. Additionally, the company is offering free 30 days trial offers to the new customers' and giving special introductory price of Rs 34,620 per users for a year plan till April 30, 2013 for the existing users of Creative 6.

Talking about this historic transformation in 30 years of existence in India Umang Bedi, MD, South Asia, Adobe said, "With creative Cloud offerings we are transforming our go to market strategy completely. We are bringing the successes of our US model of Creative Cloud to India at a price point of Rs 2,885 per month, at approximately INR 48480 per user for a one-year plan through Adobe's network of resellers. We would want to double the success in India with our CCT offerings."

He also added that the next Individual's version will be as cheaper as mobile rental. Moreover, the company will stop the retail version of Creative 6 suite boxes in coming times. Bedi said, "The retail box will be discontinued after certain point of time. However, we are contemplating to roll out point of sale activation card in future."

From the marketing perspective, Adobe has made fundamental transformation in terms of its previous model. Speaking on this Shrihari Palangala, country marketing manager, Adobe Systems India said, "In the initial phase, our objective is first to drive awareness about our new go to market strategy of affordability and continue to engage with the customers. It is entirely up to customers' when they want to move to the cloud which is a membership-based service. We have always been selling perpetual now we want customers' to obtain membership to our programs this would including software community, shared storage and collaboration." The company will be rolling out its multi-city road-show programs, first is in Mumbai on April 9.

From the Partners perspective Creative Cloud hold more profitability and incentives. Vineet Sood, director, channel sales and alliances (South Asia), Adobe Systems said, "We have enabled 40 managed partners to sell this offerings, we are also talking to our certified and registered partners. Additionally, we have launched new set of rebate program for the partners. The rebate percentage almost is twice the percentage of perpetual; software's."

Bedi also touched upon the bumper success the company witnessed with Creative Cloud in the US market, he said, "In the last calendar year, we have added one million user globally under our trial version of 30 days and 3,26,000 as paid subscribers in that period and ever since then we are adding 10,000 subscribers a month. We are selling the same offerings in the US at $80 in a month."