Adobe
Creative Cloud & Document Cloud
- Design & Creative
- Subscription
For · Marketing, design and communications teams within medium and large organisations
Company details
- Type
- Independent Software Vendor
- Company size
- Large
- Deployment
- Public Cloud
- Industry focus
- Media & Entertainment
Products
43Creative Cloud
- Aero
- After Effects
- Animate
- Audition
- Bridge
- Character Animator
- Dimension
- Dreamweaver
- Fresco
- Illustrator
- InCopy
- InDesign
- Lightroom
- Lightroom Classic
- Media Encoder
- Photoshop
- Photoshop Express
- Prelude
- Premiere Pro
- Premiere Rush
- Rush
- Substance 3D Designer
- Substance 3D Modeler
- Substance 3D Painter
- Substance 3D Sampler
- Substance 3D Stager
- XD
Document Cloud
- Acrobat
- Acrobat Reader
- Acrobat Sign
Experience Cloud
- Analytics
- Audience Manager
- Campaign
- Commerce
- Customer Journey Analytics
- Experience Manager
- Experience Platform
- Journey Optimizer
- Marketo Engage
- Real-Time CDP
- Target
- Workfront
Other
- Stock Credit Pack
Adobe is the market leader in creative software and document management. Most organisations use Adobe through a Creative Cloud subscription — a flexible but costly model that renews automatically each year. Adobe has implemented significant price increases over recent years, often without proactive communication to existing customers.
For enterprise organisations, named user licences and shared device licences are the two main contract types. The distinction is crucial: a named user licence is tied to an individual, whereas a shared device licence is linked to a device. In practice, these are often used interchangeably, leading to compliance risks and unnecessary costs.
Procurement considerations
- Negotiate before the renewal date
Adobe usually sends an automatic renewal notice 30 days before the renewal date. This is the ideal time to negotiate — afterwards your leverage diminishes. Schedule the discussion at least 60 days in advance.
- Check named vs. shared device licences
Many organisations pay for named user licences while shared device licences are more cost-effective and better suited to their situation. This distinction can save tens of thousands of pounds annually.
- Watch out for the VIP vs. ETLA structure
Adobe offers two enterprise programmes: VIP (Value Incentive Plan) for smaller volumes and ETLA (Enterprise Term License Agreement) for larger organisations. ETLA provides better terms but is rarely proactively offered.
Compliance risks
- Automatic renewal without usage check
Adobe contracts automatically renew by default. Without active monitoring, you pay for licences for employees who have left or for tools that are no longer used.
- Audit sensitivity when limits are exceeded
Adobe increasingly conducts software audits with enterprise customers. Exceeding licence numbers results in additional charges including penalties. Ensure your inventory is up to date.
Frequently asked questions about Adobe
Frequently asked questions about Adobe licences and procurement.
Can I cancel Adobe licences mid-term?
Adobe annual subscriptions generally incur a cancellation fee of 50% of the remaining contract value if terminated early. More flexible exit clauses can be negotiated via an ETLA.
What is the difference between VIP and ETLA at Adobe?
VIP (Value Incentive Plan) is suitable for organisations with fewer than 1,000 licences and offers volume discounts based on purchase history. ETLA (Enterprise Term License Agreement) is intended for larger organisations and offers a fixed annual price for an agreed volume, including additional services.
How can SoftVaro assist with Adobe procurement?
SoftVaro negotiates with Adobe on your behalf regarding prices, terms and contract structure. We know the market rates and precisely which discounts are achievable based on your volume and usage profile.
Relevant knowledge base articles
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