Rumours that Avid is to follow Adobe's lead to cloud-based computing

[The Byre]

There are multiple rumours that Avid is to follow Adobe's lead to cloud-based computing only. i.e. you will only be able to rent/lease ProTools hardware and software by this time next year.

[TCM]

Originally Posted by The Byre

There are multiple rumours that Avid is to follow Adobe's lead to cloud-based computing only. i.e. you will only be able to rent/lease ProTools hardware and software by this time next year.

I hope that this remains a rumor!

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by The Byre

There are multiple rumours that Avid is to follow Adobe's lead to cloud-based computing only. i.e. you will only be able to rent/lease ProTools hardware and software by this time next year.

Originally Posted by TCM

I hope that this remains a rumor!

Same here. Glad I purchased Adobe Audition CS6 a couple of months back before this happened. Adobe was giving the option of going cloud based with a monthly subscription rate versus purchasing outright and I went for outright purchase.

Let me put forth a dangerous scenario: say Avid goes to monthly subscription and no longer offers outright purchase of software and hardware. What's to stop them from changing your iLok asset to the new scheme? Next time you go to synch your iLok/add new licenses and you find out your PT asset has changed.

[John_Toolbox]

Originally Posted by The Byre

There are multiple rumours that Avid is to follow Adobe's lead to cloud-based computing only. i.e. you will only be able to rent/lease ProTools hardware and software by this time next year.

Can you post a link to this?

[Bob Olhsson]

I may have started one of those rumors based on conversations I've had with some old friends in the broadcasting and post production business. Their corporate owners have been selling off all of their capital investment and begun leasing absolutely everything. It makes their perceived value look better to stockholders while allowing them to more easily keep up with new technology. These are Avid and Adobe's biggest customers. I think it may explain a number of Avid's recent moves including the management change and the need to straighten out their accounting in spite of knowing it would be a PR disaster.

Putting together Apple and Microsoft's app stores, Adobe's Creative Cloud and Microsoft's Office 365, we're probably looking at some mighty big changes in how we relate to the next generation of software.

[Jay_uk]

Google shows up piece...its a cache link, as the new one is pdf.
and its from 2011
https://webcache.googleusercontent.c...&gbv=2&ct=clnk

[TCM]

Originally Posted by Jay_uk

Google shows up piece...its a cache link, as the new one is pdf.
and its from 2011
https://webcache.googleusercontent.c...&gbv=2&ct=clnk

Thanks for the link, Jay!

I am very suspicious about some of the cloud-based business models, because they
1. may drive the customer more into a dependency,
2. may compromise customer privacy,
3. are designed to strengthen the position of business AT THE COST of the position of the customers (so no win-win situation).

[Smurf43]

There is NO WAY I will be connected to the net just to run software that I bought. I KNOW I don't OWN any software I have purchased, but bottom line is for every bit of software that does this, that is one less on my system...

Avid is NOT that big a fish in a lot of folks eyes anymore...

[necjamc]

I do some small scale video work that makes me barely a dime so for me I like the Adobe setup. Staples offers 3 month subscription cards at the same price per month as when you purchase the full year. ie it's 19.99 per month for a single app for new customers when purchasing a 12 month subscription, and more per month when doing it month to month. If that makes sense. But I plan my work around my subscription. With my audio work I can't work that way. Pro tools may sit idle for a month or 2 or it may run 8 hours a day 7 days a week for me. And I personally would not want to worry about waisted subscriptions or lack of funds when opportunity comes up. I really hope that if Avid ever implements this they would keep the existing options the same. I mean to purchase HD on a short run to complete a project but knowing my vanilla version is always my own, well that might not be too bad.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sunburst79]

I could see Pro Tools software being a popular as a monthly rental. Envision a extended version of the current 30 day trial. I could easily see someone renting PT for 30-90-120 days to start and finish a project.

For the bigger facilities a subscription combined with support would be great and has been done. But few of these facilities are on the cutting edge of software. So the subscription model makes a little less sense for them.

If offered in addition to the current license scheme I could see some takers. If offered as a sole replacement for the current license scheme I see huge resistance.