Adobe announces new, more flexible software licensing programme

Adobe Systems Incorporated, the leader in network publishing, will introduce enhancements to its Transactional Licensing Programme (TLP), one of three licensing options available from Adobe aimed at benefiting small and medium-sized businesses as well as corporates purchasing Adobe solutions.

The new pricing policy came into effect in SA earlier this month. The programme rewards volume purchases with an ascending discount structure. In addition, when products are purchased through the TLP, Adobe provides clients with an easy-to-use, online licensing history that simplifies software administration and record-keeping. This custom site provides organisations with a single location for up-to-date access to their comprehensive Adobe software licensing information. No contracts are signed or forecasting is necessary. The TLP is open to corporate, government, education and small-business customers.

The licensing programme is points based. To qualify for discounted pricing, clients have to accumulate a minimum number of points per order. Previously, a purchase had to be worth 20 points to qualify for licensing. This meant that any software buy had to be at least 10 copies of any software product. Each Adobe product carries two points with the exception of Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Photoshop Elements which carry a point each. With the new arrangement, Adobe Options 2.5, clients will be able to acquire Adobe products on a licence with as little as five points. This means that a combined purchase of only three products will qualify for reduced pricing.

Adobe is confident that this initiative will make it easier for both SMEs and departments within larger corporations to derive benefit from reduced pricing offered by the licensing programme.

Adobe first launched the Adobe Open Options (AOO) programme in September 2000. Price differences between shrink-wrap and box products may vary.

The Contractual Licensing Programme (CLP) is aimed at corporates to streamline Adobe purchases worldwide and maximise return on investment. This licence simplifies the administration problems that usually dog larger organisations.

It uses an organisation`s projected software purchase requirements over a two-year period to establish a single pricing level for all purchases. The CLP offers the discount advantage of a single large purchase, combined with the option to spread out purchases and expenditures over a two-year period. This programme is available worldwide and covers most Adobe products.

In addition to volume pricing, the CLP helps organisations cut costs by simplifying software administration in several ways. First, it provides you with a single licensing agreement that can be effective worldwide, so purchasers always get the same discount level regardless of where they are located or what quantity they are ordering. Secondly, Adobe provides all CLP customers with an easy-to-use, customised online licensing site that simplifies licensing administration and record keeping. The site provides your organisation with a single location for access to comprehensive Adobe software information so you can see your global software ordering status at-a-glance and easily track licensing records. Lastly, the ongoing two-year contract helps ensure you keep your licences current so you can be confident you are staying compliant.

Your pricing is based on the size of your software commitment over the two-year period. Most eligible products count for either one or two points, and points accrue equally for the purchase of new licences, the upgrade of previously acquired licences [1], or the enrolment of an eligible licence in the Maintenance program. CLP customers must commit to a minimum of 1 000 points over the two-year period, ordering at least 10% of the committed points within 30 days of signing the contract, and at least 40% of their points by the end of the first contract year.

The CLP is open to corporate, education, or government customers and their point requirements, discount levels and contracts may vary.

Finally, large corporations can benefit from the Acrobat Site Licence Programme (SLP). A cost-effective solution that offers the productivity gains of Adobe Acrobat to all employees. By providing easy creation of cross-platform Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files, which preserve the look and feel of any paper or electronic documents, Acrobat eliminates the headache of sharing information across the technologically diverse enterprise. With the SLP, customers will always have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat.

The SLP allows clients to install Acrobat enterprise-wide with a single site licence serial number. Keep up with workforce growth and simultaneously reduce compliance risks by ordering Acrobat licences in predictable six-month intervals over the two-year contract* period.

To obtain an SLP licence through Adobe Open Options, you must first define your site. This site must include a minimum of 1 000* workstations or employees which is also the minimum initial order requirement. Your site definition may include subsidiaries owned, 50% or more, by the licensing organisation. You will need to order a licence and maintenance for every authorised workstation or employee within your site. Every six months, a report of the number of new workstations or employees added during the previous half-year cycle is submitted by the client to Adobe.