Introduction
Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) is the industry standard for creative tools, used globally across enterprises. As Adobe has shifted to a fully subscription-based licensing model, CIOs face the challenge of managing these licenses cost-effectively while enabling creativity.
In 2024, Adobe implemented a price increase of roughly 4–6% for Creative Cloud enterprise and team plans worldwide, putting pressure on IT budgets.
This playbook provides a comprehensive guide for CIOs to navigate Adobe CC licensing models, adjust strategies after price hikes, and optimize usage.
Adobe Creative Cloud Licensing Options Overview
Understanding Adobe’s licensing options is the first step in optimizing costs. Adobe offers various plans and license types under Creative Cloud for business, primarily split by All Apps vs. Single App subscriptions and by Teams vs. Enterprise offerings.
Additionally, Adobe’s move to Named User Licensing (now the standard) and the availability of Shared Device Licensing for certain scenarios are key considerations.
Below,, we break down these options and their implications:
All Apps vs. Single-App Plans
Adobe CC plans come in two main flavors for users: All Apps (access to the full CC suite) or a Single App (a license for one Adobe application, such as Photoshop or Illustrator). All Apps plans cost significantly more than Single App plans, reflecting the broader access.
For example, in enterprise agreements, a Single-App license is typically a fraction of the All-Apps price, often around 50% or less of the cost of an All-Apps license (the exact ratio varies by region and contract). Many organizations find that a subset of users only need one or two specific apps.
An All Apps license for these users would be underutilized and cost-inefficient. Conversely, users who actively use multiple Adobe apps might justify an All Apps plan. The goal is to right-size each user’s license according to their actual needs.
Recommendations for CIOs – All Apps vs. Single App:
- Match Licenses to Usage: Conduct an audit to determine which Adobe applications each team or user uses. Avoid assigning an All Apps license to someone who only needs, for example, Photoshop and Acrobat. Instead, offer single-app subscriptions for the necessary apps. This prevents paying for unused capabilities.
- Establish a Threshold: Set a guideline (e.g., if a user regularly uses 3 or more distinct CC applications, an All Apps plan is justified; 1–2 apps might be more cost-effective as single-app licenses). This rule of thumb helps licensing teams make consistent decisions.
- Example: If a marketing department user only uses Adobe InDesign, a single-app InDesign license can cost around 50% less than an All Apps bundle. Multiplied across dozens of such users, the savings add up to be substantial annually.
- Review Quarterly: Because creative needs can evolve, review license assignments quarterly. If a user’s role changes or they require additional apps, you can upgrade them to All Apps. If they no longer use certain apps, downgrade to a single app to save costs.
- Leverage All Apps for Power Users: Ensure that high-end creative professionals who require the full toolkit (designers, video producers, etc.) have the All Apps license, so they aren’t hindered. However, double-check that this tier is limited to those who truly need it.
Named User Licensing – The Standard Model
Adobe’s licensing has transitioned to Named User Licensing (NUL) as the default for Creative Cloud in enterprises. In this model, each license is tied to an individual user’s Adobe ID (or enterprise federated ID) rather than to a device. Named User Licensing is now standard across Adobe’s enterprise offerings – it replaced serial or device-based licensing for most use cases.
Each named user can typically activate their license on up to two devices (e.g., a work desktop and a laptop) for their use, which supports flexible work environments. This model simplifies compliance (you cannot use more licenses than you have assignments) and enables personalized services (each user gets their own cloud storage, settings, fonts, etc.).
Managing named user licenses is done through the Adobe Admin Console, where administrators invite or provision users and assign them access to products. Licensing is “automatic compliance” – once a user is assigned a license, Adobe ensures they can access the software on authorized devices, and if they leave or are removed, that license is freed for reuse.
The NUL approach also aligns well with enterprise identity systems. Companies can integrate Adobe IDs with Single Sign-On (SSO) via Azure AD, Okta, and others, so that user accounts are centrally managed. This integration means, for example, when an employee leaves the company and is deactivated in the corporate directory, their Adobe license can also be automatically revoked, preventing license leakage.
Recommendations for CIOs – Maximizing Named User Licensing:
- Integrate with Identity Management: Tie Adobe user management into your corporate IAM (Identity and Access Management) or SSO solution. Adobe enterprise accounts (via Federated ID) allow integration with Active Directory or SSO so that users can use their corporate credentials. This not only improves security but streamlines license provisioning – new hires get access if needed, and departures automatically lose access.
- Automate License Provisioning and Removal: Use the Adobe Admin Console’s user sync or available APIs to automate assigning licenses when a user in a specific role joins, and removing licenses when users leave or no longer require Creative Cloud. This ensures you reclaim licenses immediately when someone exits, avoiding the accumulation of unused assigned licenses.
- Educate employees on Dual Device Use: ensure they know they can use their one license on two devices for personal use. This eliminates the need for extra licenses on a second machine. For instance, a designer can have Creative Cloud installed on a work iMac and a personal laptop, using the same license. This maximizes the value of each named-user license and supports flexible remote work.
- Monitor and Reallocate: Regularly review the list of assigned users in the Admin Console to ensure it is up to date. Even if Adobe’s tools may not show detailed app usage per user, managers can provide input on who truly needs a license. If a user has not accessed Creative Cloud apps for a long time (e.g., they have moved to a non-creative role), consider reallocating that license to someone else. Implement an internal review where department heads confirm which of their staff still require the CC tools.
- Ensure Compliance with Terms: Named user licenses should not be shared between individuals. Each subscription is for a single user, so avoid scenarios like generic accounts. Reinforce this in policy to stay compliant and to get accurate usage visibility. Adobe’s standardization on NUL means compliance risk is lower than old serial keys, but only if each user is properly licensed.
- Leverage Adobe’s User Insights: While Adobe’s Admin Console doesn’t provide detailed usage analytics for apps (Adobe doesn’t report how often a specific user launches Photoshop, for example), you can use the console’s Audit Log to track license assignment events. This can help audit when licenses were allocated or removed. For deeper usage insights, consider third-party software asset management (SAM) tools that can report on application usage on desktops. This data, combined with Adobe assignments, can identify potential license optimizations (e.g., users who seldom launch their Adobe apps).
Shared Device Licensing for Labs and Shared Workstations
While Named User Licensing covers the majority of scenarios, Adobe offers Shared Device Licensing (SDL) for situations where multiple individuals use the same device, such as in labs, training rooms, or educational classrooms. Shared Device Licenses assign the software license to a specific computer (device), rather than to a named person.
Any user can sign in on that machine to use Adobe apps, but the apps only run on that licensed device. This model is ideal for environments like university computer labs, shared media labs in enterprises, or kiosks where creating individual, named accounts for every potential user is impractical. Adobe specifically notes that SDL is “ideal for computers in your labs or classrooms” and “not designed for use on machines used by dedicated users.” In other words, if a machine has a single primary user, stick with named licensing; if a machine is truly shared by many, SDL is the better fit.
Adobe’s Shared Device Licensing replaced the older “device licensing” (or serial number licensing) used in educational settings, ensuring that even on shared machines, software remains updated and license-compliant. When launching an app on an SDL machine, the user is prompted to sign in with an Adobe ID, which can be either a free Adobe ID or an enterprise ID, to verify their identity. Still, no per-user license is consumed in that case – the entitlement comes from the device’s license.
The user’s sign-in simply attaches their profile, allowing them to access cloud services or their settings. Once they log out, the app is available for the next person. Shared Device Licensing does not grant users full individual entitlements, such as cloud storage or fonts, by itself (unless their account also has these rights) – it primarily grants access to the app on that machine.
Recommendations for CIOs – Shared Device License Usage:
- Identify Shared Environments: Review if your organization has scenarios such as design labs, training rooms, hot-desk multimedia stations, or educational classrooms where multiple users use the same computers. In corporate settings, this might be less common, but global enterprises with training centers or universities will have this. These are the places to deploy Shared Device Licensing.
- Use SDL for Multi-User Machines: For any shared workstation environment, purchase and deploy Creative Cloud Shared Device Licenses for those machines (available through Adobe’s education licensing programs and some enterprise arrangements). This ensures each device is licensed for Creative Cloud, and any authorized user can utilize it without needing their own named license. For example, a lab of 30 Macs in a design school can have 30 device licenses, allowing hundreds of students to use those Macs across the week without each student needing a separate subscription.
- Keep Dedicated Machines on Named Licenses: Do not use SDL on a user’s workstation or an employee’s primary computer. Adobe explicitly recommends using named-user licensing for dedicated machines. Shared Device licensing is slightly less flexible (e.g., no offline use without sign-in, no personalized cloud storage by default) and is only cost-effective when the ratio of users to devices is high.
- Manage SDL via Admin Console: Treat shared device licenses as a separate pool in your Admin Console. Adobe provides tools to create SDL packages and deploy them. Ensure that IT staff maintain a record of which devices have these licenses and periodically verify that they are still in use. Retire or reassign SDLs if a lab is decommissioned, for instance.
- Security and Sign-out Policies: Since multiple users will sign in on the same device, enforce a policy that users must sign out of Adobe Creative Cloud when finishing their session on a shared computer. This prevents one user’s credentials or assets from being accessible to the next user. Also, where possible, use Adobe’s access control features for SDL – for example, limit which Adobe ID domains can sign in on those devices if you want to restrict usage to your organization’s users (Adobe’s SDL supports some access policies by identity or network range).
- Educational Institutions: If you are a CIO in education (at a university or K-12 school), note that Adobe’s education license programs offer SDL specifically. K-12 schools are required to use federated or enterprise IDs with SDL. Ensure your licensing program (VIP for Education or ETLA for Education) is set up to include shared device licenses. These often come at discounted rates for education and can be a cost-saving option compared to named licenses for large student populations.
Creative Cloud for Teams vs. Enterprise Plans
Adobe segments its business offerings into Creative Cloud for Teams, aimed at small to mid-sized organizations or workgroup teams, and Creative Cloud for Enterprise, aimed at large organizations and those with more advanced needs.
Both provide access to the same core Creative Cloud applications, but they differ in licensing flexibility, administrative features, support, and contractual terms. Understanding these differences is crucial for CIOs to ensure the organization is on the right plan and not overpaying or missing out on needed capabilities.
Creative Cloud for Teams (CC Teams): Typically sold via Adobe’s Value Incentive Plan (VIP) subscription program, CC Teams is designed for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and departments. It uses the same named-user licensing model, managed through an Admin Console, and allows the purchase of single apps or All Apps for each user.
Teams offers simplified, pay-as-you-go annual licensing – you can add licenses at any time, true up at renewal, and even remove licenses at the annual renewal point if needed (no long-term commitment, aside from the current subscription term). It includes 1TB of cloud storage per user and collaboration features, similar to those found in enterprise solutions.
However, some enterprise-level integrations and customizations are limited; for example, Teams does not support federated IDs or SSO with your domain – users typically use Adobe IDs under the Teams plan. Teams plan customers get standard support (business hours, no dedicated account manager) and two one-on-one expert sessions per user per year for help, which is a nice perk for training. The Teams offering is ideal for organizations that want flexibility and have fewer than a few hundred users, or those that do not require advanced identity management and security features.
Creative Cloud for Enterprise (CC Enterprise): Adobe’s enterprise offering is more customizable and is often sold through an Enterprise Term License Agreement (ETLA) or via VIP with an enterprise status, often referred to as “VIP Select” when exceeding certain license counts.
CC Enterprise is designed for large organizations with complex workflows or higher security needs. It supports both named-user and device licensing options to accommodate various scenarios.
Key distinguishing features of Enterprise include:
- Federated ID/Single Sign-On integration: The enterprise supports integration with corporate directories (such as Azure AD and Okta) for SSO, enabling enterprise-grade identity management. This means employees can log in with their corporate email credentials, and administrators can enforce authentication policies, such as multi-factor authentication.
- Advanced Admin & Security Features: Enterprises get more granular admin controls. For example, they can leverage the Adobe User Sync tool for automated user management, have more detailed permission controls, and can even integrate Adobe Experience Manager for digital asset management, especially for organizations that use Adobe’s broader ecosystem. Security features like enterprise storage encryption, asset control, and compliance reporting are stronger and important for regulated industries.
- Dedicated Support: Enterprise customers are typically assigned an Adobe account manager. They receive 24×7 enterprise support, faster response SLAs, and customization assistance. Enterprise agreements include options for personalized training and onboarding, which can be crucial for driving adoption in large teams.
- Scalability and Contract: An enterprise plan under an ETLA typically involves a 3-year agreement, where you commit to a certain number of licenses, which can be adjusted annually. This provides budget predictability and sometimes discounts, but it’s less flexible if you need to drop licenses mid-term. However, VIP (Teams) members can also achieve VIP Select status (with 10 or more licenses in commercial) to get volume discounts, so smaller companies can still benefit from some volume pricing without a full ETLA.
- Features Parity: It’s worth noting that the actual creative applications and cloud services are the same in Teams vs Enterprise; the difference is in management and support. For instance, cloud storage is 1TB per user, pooled in both, but an enterprise might allow aggregation or different allocation of that storage across users. Both get access to Adobe Fonts, Libraries, and core cloud services. Enterprise can offer more controlled deployment (e.g., private deployment packages, disabling cloud services if desired, etc.) for compliance.
In summary, CC Teams suits smaller, less complex deployments where ease of purchase and flexibility are priorities. In contrast, CC Enterprise is suited for large-scale deployments that require integration, security, and dedicated support. Many mid-sized organizations start on Teams (VIP) and move to Enterprise or ETLA as they grow or if their requirements become more sophisticated, such as integrating Adobe licenses into an SSO environment or needing device licenses for a subset of users.
Recommendations for CIOs – Teams vs. Enterprise:
- Choose Based on Organization Size and Needs: If you’re a mid-sized company (with dozens of licenses) with standard requirements, Creative Cloud for Teams via VIP is often sufficient and simpler. You can buy what you need and adjust at renewal without a long contract. However, suppose your company is large (with hundreds to thousands of users across regions) or requires features like SSO integration, advanced security, or a dedicated Adobe support line. In that case, the Enterprise plan is likely the better option.
- Leverage VIP Select for Discounts: Even if you stay on Teams/VIP, once you meet the threshold (e.g., 10+ licenses), ensure you obtain VIP Select status for your account, which can grant volume discounts. Your Adobe reseller or Adobe directly can apply this. This way, you get some price benefit of enterprise volume without needing a full ETLA contract.
- Plan the ETLA Timing Strategically: If opting for an Enterprise Term License Agreement, time it to align with your budget cycles and use it to lock in pricing. Note that during the term of an ETLA, Adobe will not increase prices on those committed licenses (as seen in the 2024 price increase, existing ETLA customers were not affected mid-term). This can shield you from price hikes for 2 to 3 years. Negotiate the contract knowing that Adobe’s list prices have been rising around 5% annually in recent years.
- Use Enterprise Features if You Have Them: If you are on Enterprise, make full use of the features you’re paying for. Implement SSO or federated IDs to enjoy the security benefits. Use the admin console’s advanced controls, like user groups, for easier license assignment by role. Request periodic business reviews with your Adobe account manager to stay aware of new features. For example, Adobe may introduce new services like Firefly AI or Stock credits – make sure to take advantage of any bundled offerings.
- Monitor Support and Satisfaction: With Enterprise, you’ll have enhanced support tracking if your team is utilizing the 24/7 support and expert sessions. If not, remind them that these resources are available for complex issues or training needs. High utilization of support might justify an enterprise-level plan; if you find you rarely use it and have straightforward needs, a Teams plan could suffice at a lower cost in the future.
- Consider Seeking Independent Advice for large deals: For very large enterprises, consider engaging independent licensing experts, such as Redress Compliance, when negotiating your Adobe Enterprise agreements. They can offer insights into discount benchmarks and ensure you aren’t over-committing. This external perspective can be valuable given Adobe’s enterprise deals can be complex with multiple components (All Apps, single apps, Stock, etc., bundled).
Responding to Adobe’s 2024 Price Increase
Adobe’s approximately 5% price increase on Creative Cloud enterprise subscriptions in late 2023 (effective 2024) has budget implications. CIOs should treat this as a catalyst to re-evaluate their licensing strategy. While Adobe justified the hike by adding new value (e.g., integrating Adobe Firefly generative AI features into Creative Cloud), enterprises must ensure they are not paying for underused licenses, especially at higher rates.
Key impacts of the price increase include higher renewal costs for both All Apps and single-app licenses, pressure on multi-year contract negotiations (Adobe will seek to incorporate these increases), and increased scrutiny from CFOs on the ROI of these subscriptions.
The approx. 4–6% rise for enterprise plans means, for example, a $1M annual Adobe spend could grow to ~$1.05M for the same licenses, not trivial for tight IT budgets. Additionally, Creative Cloud for Teams (VIP) customers saw increases at renewal starting in November 2023.
Those on multi-year ETLAs will face the new pricing at their next renewal. In some regions, currency fluctuations led to even larger adjustments. However, Adobe largely kept the enterprise increase moderate compared to some individual consumer plans, such as student and photography plans, which saw higher jumps.
Strategies to Adjust Licensing Post-Price Increase:
- Audit Current License Utilization: Conduct a thorough review of how many Creative Commons (CC) licenses are actually in active use. This goes hand in hand with the recommendations in the previous section about removing inactive users and right-sizing all vs. single-app. The goal is to ensure that every license you renew or add provides value. If the audit finds, for instance, 10% of assigned licenses were unused by employees (perhaps due to role changes or attrition), consider reducing your license count by that amount to offset the 5% cost increase. It’s better to drop excess licenses before renewal than to pay more for them for another year.
- Reconsider License Mix: A price hike is a good time to reconsider if your mix of All Apps vs Single Apps is optimized. Adobe likely raised prices by a similar percentage on both, but the absolute cost difference remains large. Verify if some All Apps users can be switched to single-app (with two single-app licenses if they need two specific programs). For example, if All Apps is, say, $80/user/month under enterprise pricing and single-app is $30/user/month, a user needing only Photoshop and Illustrator could use two single-app plans ($60) instead of an All Apps ($80), saving $20/month – which is $240/year per user saved, helping counteract the increase. Multiply that by dozens of users.
- Budget for the Increase: Work closely with finance to forecast the increased spend. Show them the proactive steps IT is taking, such as optimization and negotiation, to control the cost. If possible, align the renewal to a multi-year budget plan. CFOs don’t like surprises – since Adobe has signaled this increase, build it into IT budget requests and note that further annual increases (historically 5-10% annually for some plans) may occur. This prepares management for the rationale behind any additional spend on creative tools.
- Negotiate and Shop Around: If you purchase through a reseller, ask them to seek out any promotional pricing or help you lock in a deal. Independent advisors can sometimes benchmark your Adobe deal. For instance, an independent licensing expert might advise on whether discounts or concessions are available. Adobe sometimes offers promotional discounts if you, for example, adopt additional Adobe products or increase your volume. Use the fact that you are aware of the price increase to negotiate harder – for example, ask Adobe for a larger discount to neutralize the increase if you’re signing a new 3-year ETLA. It never hurts to ask, especially if your spend is significant.
- Consider Phased Rollouts of New Features: Adobe added generative AI features (Firefly), which are part of the value proposition for the price increase. Evaluate if these are useful for your organization. If not, it’s essentially a paid extra you didn’t need. Communicate feedback to Adobe – vendors are more likely to offer flexibility if customers push back, saying they are paying more for features they aren’t using. Conversely, if the new features (such as AI and Express) can benefit your users, ensure they are aware of and trained to use them. Extracting more value from the tools helps justify the cost.
- Explore Plan Alternatives Cautiously: In some cases, companies consider downgrading certain users from enterprise to individual plans or the Creative Cloud for Teams offering via resellers if that might be cheaper. Be cautious with this approach – individual plans might violate terms if used commercially at scale, and Teams vs Enterprise have differences as discussed. However, if the enterprise features are truly not needed, a business could theoretically use the Teams licenses (still legal for commercial use), which might have slightly different pricing. Consult with Adobe or licensing experts before making any such change to ensure compliance and support are not impacted.
Recommendations for CIOs – Navigating Price Increases:
- Communicate Early with Stakeholders: Don’t let the Adobe price increase catch the organization off guard. Communicate with procurement and finance well in advance of renewal that a ~5% increase is expected. Present a plan (license optimization, potential negotiations) alongside the bad news, to show IT is actively managing the vendor relationship.
- Engage with Adobe Account Management: If you have an Adobe account manager (available to enterprise customers), open a dialogue about the price hike. Express your concerns and ask if there are ways to mitigate the impact (e.g., extending your current pricing for a bit longer, renewing early at current rates, or adding products now to get a bundle discount). While the list price change is not reversible, there may be room for negotiation or additional value Adobe can provide.
- Use Renewal Time as an Opportunity: Renewal is when you have leverage. Be willing to consider alternatives (even if there are few comparable alternatives to Adobe CC). Large enterprises can and do evaluate whether they need all Adobe seats – in some cases, cheaper creative tools might suffice for light users. Making it clear that IT is scrutinizing Adobe’s spend can prompt Adobe to be more flexible. Ensure that any true-down rights (the ability to reduce count in ETLA) are clear, so you’re not stuck over-buying after an organization resizes.
- Consult Licensing Experts: Particularly for global enterprises negotiating large Adobe contracts, consider consulting firms or experts like Redress Compliance for an independent review. They can identify if your usage aligns with what you’re buying and suggest optimizations or negotiation tactics. Their experience with other clients can uncover cost-saving opportunities that aren’t immediately apparent from reading Adobe’s materials. This independent advice can complement your internal procurement team’s work.
- Monitor Adobe’s roadmap: Keep an eye on Adobe announcements – if they plan further price changes or new editions (e.g., “Pro” versions of apps or the inclusion of new cloud services), factor these into your strategy. Sometimes Adobe introduces new SKUs (like Creative Cloud Pro with extra Stock assets,) which might or might not be worth the premium. Ensure you are subscribing to only what your users need. For instance, if Adobe upsells a Creative Cloud “Pro” All Apps plan with additional services at a higher cost, evaluate uptake before blindly accepting the upgrade for all users.
Optimizing Creative Cloud License Usage and Administration
License optimization is an ongoing process, not a one-time effort. CIOs should establish practices and governance to keep Adobe Creative Cloud licensing efficient over time. Beyond the initial right-sizing of All Apps vs Single App and named vs device licenses, consider the following operational tactics:
- Regular User Review Cycles: Implement semiannual or quarterly reviews of all users with CC licenses. Coordinate with department heads or IT asset managers to confirm that each person who still needs a license has one. Turnover and role changes in large organizations can lead to “orphaned” licenses. For example, a user in the design team leaves, but their CC license remains assigned in the Admin Console because IT wasn’t notified. A simple check against HR records can catch these. Removing or reassigning those licenses promptly prevents paying for idle subscriptions.
- Inactive License Reclamation: As noted, Adobe’s tools do not show application usage per user by default, so “inactive” might be defined by business context rather than technical logs. One approach is to track login to the Creative Cloud Desktop app or use of services; another is to have managers validate if their team members have produced work with Adobe apps recently. If someone hasn’t used their Adobe tools in, say, 90 days and is not expected to need them, that license can be revoked and added to a free pool. You can always reassign it later if needs change (Adobe allows instantaneous reassignments via Admin Console). Some organizations send a periodic email: “You have an Adobe CC license; do you still need it?” If the user says no (or doesn’t respond), they reclaim it, with the option to get it back on request. This type of soft audit can result in a 5-10% reduction in unused licenses.
- License Pool Management: Maintain a small buffer of unassigned licenses if your processes require quick access. For example, new hires in a creative role should receive a license on their first day. With VIP subscriptions, you can let the count go slightly above the purchased amount and true it up later, but it’s better to manage proactively. Having 2-5% of licenses unassigned but available can help avoid delays while still keeping costs under control. Monitor that this buffer isn’t too high (idle licenses can be expensive).
- Training and Adoption (Maximize ROI): Sometimes optimization isn’t just cutting licenses – it’s also about getting the most out of what you have. Ensure that users with Creative Cloud know how to use the tools effectively. Adobe offers a vast array of apps; a team may have an All Apps license but only uses two programs because they lack training on others that could benefit them. Offering training sessions or tutorials on tools like Adobe XD or Adobe Premiere Rush might enable teams to take on new projects without needing additional headcount or tools. This way, the cost of the All Apps license yields more value. From a CIO perspective, this improves the ROI of each license.
- Consider Creative Cloud for Teams vs. Individual Plans for Contractors: If you employ many contractors or freelancers who need temporary Adobe access, manage their accounts carefully. It may be tempting for an individual to use their own Adobe ID subscription, but that can introduce IP ownership questions and support issues. Instead, have a pool of enterprise Team licenses that you can assign to contractors for the duration of their work and then remove. Adobe allows you to easily transfer a license between users. This ensures the company is providing the tool and retains control. Just remember to promptly remove the contractor’s access when their term ends.
- Monitoring New Adobe Offerings: Adobe frequently adds new apps to Creative Cloud. In recent years, Adobe XD, Dimension, Fresco, and others have become part of CC. If you notice new apps that could replace other paid tools you use, leverage the fact that they’re included “for free” in your subscription. For example, if you’re paying for a separate UX design tool and discover that Adobe XD (included in CC) can meet that need, you might eliminate the other subscription. Consolidating software usage into what Creative Cloud provides can be a form of indirect cost saving. Keep an eye on Adobe’s updates – your existing licenses might gain new capabilities over time.
Recommendations for CIOs – License Management Best Practices:
- Appoint a License Owner or Team: Assign responsibility to a specific team (IT asset management or similar) to oversee Adobe CC license allocation. They should maintain a centralized view of all licenses, track changes, and conduct usage reviews. This ownership ensures accountability for optimizing license use.
- Use the Admin Console Features: The Adobe Admin Console has an “Insights” tab and the ability to export user lists. Utilize these to get a snapshot of license assignments. While it won’t show app usage details, exporting a list of users with each product can be the basis for an Excel-driven audit or pivot table analysis by department. Use the Audit Log to see additions and removals (so you know who was added in the last period).
- Implement a Requisition Process for All Apps Licenses: Treat All Apps licenses as a more expensive resource that requires justification. For instance, require manager approval or a business case for any user to be given an All Apps license, unless their role is clearly within a specific creative team. This extra step ensures that people don’t get the full suite “by default” when a cheaper single app would do. It forces the question: “Do you need All Apps or just specific software?” upfront.
- Track Cost by Department: Show business units the cost of the licenses they consume. By allocating Adobe costs to departmental budgets, managers will be incentivized to keep only the licenses they truly need. If Marketing knows it’s paying for 50 All Apps subscriptions, it will likely be more vigilant that the team actively uses those 50. Transparency in cost and usage often leads to self-policing.
- Stay informed about licensing changes: Adobe licensing terms can change. Stay updated via Adobe’s enterprise communications or licensing blogs. For example, suppose Adobe were to change the standard named-user activation count (currently two devices per user) or introduce a new license type. In that case, a CIO should know how to adjust policies immediately. Subscribing to Adobe’s product release notes or following independent forums, such as the Adobe section on the ITAM Review site or the Spiceworks community, can provide early insight into changes that affect license management.
- Document and Standardize Processes: Finally, create a simple internal playbook (a subset of this one, perhaps) for how your organization handles Creative Cloud licensing. Document how to request a license, how to give one up, what the criteria are for license type assignment, and how often reviews happen. This ensures continuity and clarity, especially in global companies where regional offices might be managing licenses in silo – a standardized approach will yield the best cost optimization at an enterprise level.
