The company’s new strategy will opt for complete versions to enable cross-platform editing and propel growth in its subscription model. According to Bloomberg, users will be able to begin editing on one device and finish on another. It draws strong parallels to Microsoft’s Office 365 strategy, which lets users access apps in close to full form on any device at no extra cost. It’s proven hugely successful for the company, which recently surpassed a market cap of $800 million.
A Long Way Out
However, sources familiar with the matter say not to expect Photoshop until 2019 and Illustrator even later. This is firmly a long-term strategy for Adobe motivated by the switch from traditional PCs to tablets. As with Microsoft, sources say the apps won’t be a clone of the desktop ones. Instead, they’ll offer similar functionality in a tablet-oriented interface. Initially, they will run alongside the desktop, rather than replacing it. Still, iff the reports are correct, the move will be a huge win for Apple, particularly the iPad Pro. The availability of Adobe’s apps has been a strong selling point for Microsoft’s Surface devices, which run a full version of Windows 10.
