Adobe Bolsters Creative Cloud with 2014 Launch

Adobe (ADBE) has rolled out the 2014 versions of its Creative Cloud offerings. The new versions also are being extended to mobile devices, including new hardware from Adobe. And there’s also a new pricing plan aimed directly at photographers. All of this is being launched as Adobe is riding high on solid financial statements and a new record high in its stock prices.

Even the naysayers about Adobe’s cloud-only vision for its creative software have quieted down. They were quite vocal in 2013 when Adobe announced and executed on its new strategy, but it looks as though even the most vocal opponents have either gone elsewhere or accepted the new software reality.

For Adobe’s ecosystem of channel partners, it has created new opportunities to develop recurring revenue streams through one or more of Adobe’s cloud-based offerings.

“Our shift to Creative Cloud has given us a broad canvas on which to innovate like never before,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president of Digital Media at Adobe, in a prepared statement. “We’ve taken bold steps with this milestone release, fast-tracking new features to industry-defining tools like Photoshop and InDesign, while introducing mobile apps that turn tablets into indispensable creative tools.”

With the introduction of the 2014 Creative Cloud and the integration with mobile devices, there likely will be even more opportunities for partners. The mobile apps are fairly limited at launch, though. The first three—Adobe Sketch, Adobe Line and Adobe Photoshop Mix—have launched for iPad exclusively. They complement existing Adobe mobile apps such as Lightroom Mobile and Adobe Voice. No news on whether the new iPad apps will also be released for Android and other mobile device operating systems.

Adobe is also seeing its share prices go up as its cloud strategy really begins to pay off. As of Wednesday’s close in New York, Adobe’s share prices had shot up 8 percent to $73.08, just shy of its recent record of $74.69—the highest price Adobe’s shares have hit since its 1986 IPO.

Bloomberg reported that Adobe is even ahead of its expectations for Creative Cloud subscriptions. To date, Adobe has approximately 2.3 million Creative Cloud subscribers, putting it well on the path to reaching 4 million subscribers by the end of next year.