Continue reading »]]> Even as Adobe is pushing its Creative Cloud service in India, it has been revealed that the company is all set to phase out physical, boxed versions of its Creative Suite and Acrobat Software in favour of digital copies of the same.

Adobe confirmed that physical copies of the Creative Suite will indeed be disappearing from stores soon. “As Adobe continues to focus on delivering world-class innovation through Creative Cloud and digital fulfillment, we will be phasing out shrink-wrapped, boxed versions of Creative Suite and Acrobat products,” the company said. “Electronic downloads for Creative Suite and Acrobat products will continue to be available – as they are today – from both Adobe.com, as well as reseller and retail partners. We are in the process of notifying our channel partners and customers, as plans solidify in each region.”

Goodbye, Adobe Boxes

Rumours suggest that it could be as early as May 1 this year that the company will be pulling out physical copies of its software, but Adobe has not confirmed this. The maker of vital publishing software such as Photoshop and InDesign will be adopting the digital model of distribution completely. Whispers about Adobe’s digital move began earlier this month with the company’s resellers Toolfarm and Softwaremedia blogging that they will not be selling boxed Adobe sets post May 1, 2013.

With affordable Internet connections becoming more and more accessible, it seems like a smart although surprising move on Adobe’s part to shift completely to digital downloads. The move will also help curb piracy of Adobe’s software to a certain extent.

One trigger to move to the digtal mode of distribution could be the recent Australian Adobe debacle where it was revealed that buying the company’s software was a highly expensive affair. According to reports, it was cheaper to buy a round trip to the U.S. from Australia to purchase a copy of Adobe’s software than to purchase them locally.

In India, Adobe has only just announced the availability of its Creative Cloud service for as little as Rs 2885 a month. Getting a membership to the Creative Cloud service will give you access to download and install all Creative Suite desktop applications, Photoshop, Lightroom, Adobe Muse, Adobe Edge tools and services along with game developer tools and integration with Photoshop Touch apps.

Creative Cloud members will get access to Adobe’s latest products, services, features and workflows as soon as they are available and will no longer have to wait months for the latest Adobe tools, the company said. This model will enable members to automatically receive updates as and when they become available in the release cycle.

Great move, Adobe, but we will miss the novelty of purchasing those large, colourful Creative Suite boxes.