Adobe Debuts ‘Creative Cloud’

At its MAX 2011 technology conference, Adobe Systems announced Adobe Creative Cloud, a major new initiative from the company that radically redefines the content creation process.

In the MAX Day One keynote on 3 October, Adobe chief technology officer Kevin Lynch demonstrated the core components of Adobe Creative Cloud. Lynch said Adobe Creative Cloud will become the focal point for creativity, where millions can access desktop and tablet applications, as well as essential creative services, and share their best work.

Adobe Touch applications

Lynch announced Adobe Creative Cloud in parallel with a new set of Adobe Touch Apps for content creation on tablet devices. These new apps bring professional-level creativity to millions of tablet users – from consumers to creative professionals – and use hosted cloud-based services to share files, view them across devices or transfer work into Adobe Creative Suite software for further refinement.

“Adobe Creative Cloud reinvents creative expression by enabling a new generation of services for creativity and publishing, that embrace touch interaction to re-imagine how individuals interact with creative tools and build deeper social connections between creatives around the world,” Lynch said in a statement. “The move to the Creative Cloud is a major component in the transformation of Adobe.”

Lynch noted that the initial introduction of Adobe Creative Cloud is centred around an innovative collection of Adobe Touch Apps that re-imagine creative software for the mobile age and enable tablet devices to be an integral part of the creative process. 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. All Adobe MAX attendees will get one free year of access to the Adobe Creative Cloud, Lynch said.

Lynch added that the company expects that Adobe Creative Cloud 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 – all at a highly attractive price.

Core components

By early 2012, Adobe Creative Cloud is expected to include three core components:

Applications: Access to the portfolio of Adobe Creative Suite tools as well as the six Adobe Touch Apps announced today. The offering will include Adobe’s popular desktop tools such as Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Premiere Pro, After Effects and new tools such as Adobe Edge and Muse.

Services: Key Adobe Digital Publishing Suite technologies for delivering interactive publications on tablets; a tier of Adobe Business Catalyst for building and managing websites; and new design services, such as the ability to use cloud-based fonts for website design, via technology acquired by Adobe through its 3 October acquisition of Typekit.

Community: This includes capabilities that encourage creative types to present and share their work and ideas with peers around the world and a forum for feedback and inspiration that will foster connections between creative people. Adobe Creative Cloud will become a focal point for anyone creative.

Meanwhile, Lynch said pricing details regarding Adobe Creative Cloud and its expanded capabilities around applications, services and community will be announced in November. For more information, click here. Adobe will continue to offer its creative products as standalone offerings, including Adobe Creative Suite editions and flagship individual products such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Dreamweaver, Lynch added.