14 DAY TRIAL // Adobe had some big announcements at its yearly MAX technology conference. The biggest though was the move to the cloud. Adobe is embracing the cloud completely and will integrate its new platform, creatively titled Adobe Creative Cloud, with many of its products, including its Creative Suite.
Creative Cloud is a multi-faceted service. On the one hand you get cloud storage, 20 GB of it, and sync, as well as file sharing, though more geared toward mobile users.
On the other, you get access to Adobe's best software, the Creative Suite, the new creative apps for tablets announced at the same conference, publishing services and other similar tools, even access to web fonts courtesy of the Typekit acquisition.
"Adobe Creative Cloud will become the focal point for creativity, where millions can access desktop and tablet applications, essential creative services, and share their best work," Adobe boasts.
The new Creative Cloud is a bold move from the software company, but an expected and necessary one.
Its suite of creative desktop applications will continue to be the only real option for professionals for a long time, but ignoring the trend of everything moving to the web for too long would have eventually hurt the company.
With the Creative Cloud, users get the best of both worlds. They get to use Photoshop, Premiere Pro and the other products in the Creative Suite, for a fixed monthly subscription and also have access to cloud storage and collaboration.
"Adobe Creative Cloud will become the hub for viewing, sharing and syncing of files created by Adobe Touch Apps and Adobe Creative Suite, and includes 20GB of cloud storage," Adobe explained.
"It will quickly develop into a service that will deliver access to Adobe’s flagship creative applications and services and become an essential resource for anyone interested in creativity," it said.
There's no word on the pricing yet, that's coming next month, but Adobe will offer several subscriptions depending on what users need. Some will focus on the tablet apps, others will require the full creative suite.
By the time Adobe's vision of its Creative Cloud is complete, early 2012, subscribers will be able to access the entire Adobe Creative Suite, the new Touch Apps and services such as some from the Adobe Digital Publishing Suite, a version of Adobe Business Catalyst.
Typekit fonts and other web design services will also be available. Finally, Adobe promises a great community will form around the Creative Cloud.