Adobe is driving its software packages into the education space to capture tomorrow's customers before they leave school.
Adobe SA regional manager for the Middle East, Africa and the Mediterranean region, Andrew Lindstrom, says the company is launching a new licensing programme for high schools. “We've basically rewritten the book as to how Adobe licenses for schools in SA.”
The aim is to make Adobe products available at an affordable price to learners. Lindstrom explains that, previously, there was only one licensing model available to schools, which was a site licence and was too expensive. The old system was a R128 000 a year licence, which requires a minimum of 500 users.
Now, however, there is no minimum user requirement. He says the price works out to less than 5% of the off-the-shelf version. The new licence agreement should be live in October.
Adobe has also tied the licensing deal to a curriculum, which has been developed in-house. Teachers will be trained on how to teach the lessons, he says. Pupils can also pay R300 for an additional licence for their personal laptops, Lindstrom says.
The biggest challenge will be roll-out, he adds. Adobe aims to roll out to 250 schools a year, and there are 1 300 private schools in SA.
Once the model has been proven in the private sector, the software company will target the public sector, he says. Lindstrom expects to be able to present a model to government in about a year. Universities already have a licensing model that sees the physical entity as one body.
Beyond design
Tim Smith, business developer manager at Adobe partner Learning Curve, says he is now meeting with government to discuss a similar model for public schools and Further Education and Training colleges, of which there are 250 in SA.
The new model was launched to schools at last week's Education Week Expo. It has been welcomed by schools, as it is substantially cheaper than buying Adobe products commercially. “It is a very exciting opportunity for schools.”
Schools are being offered Creative Suite 4 Design Premium, which bundles graphic design tools for Web, print and mobile design on a single platform. Smith says the package is licensed at R140 per computer, while it retails for around R22 000 commercially.
The product has application beyond design, as it has three-dimensional rendering, which can be used in architecture and engineering, he adds. In addition, magnetic resonance imaging scans can be manipulated through the software, straight from the scanner.
Learning Curve has had a relationship with Adobe for 15 years, mostly on the commercial side. About four years ago, the company started negotiating with Adobe to bring the licensing model that was used in the US and the UK into SA. As a result, Learning Curve is now Adobe's partner in getting the software into educational institutions.
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