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Get Flexible CS6 Volume Licensing with Adobe's "Business" Program

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How to Run Multiple User or Computer Licenses for Adobe CS6

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104 thoughts on “Get Flexible CS6 Volume Licensing with Adobe's "Business" Program”

  1. Well, your link titled “Adobe will offer a credit against past qualifying purchases” to go from shrinkwrapped to TLP does not link to any information regarding what you stated.

    Reply
  2. Ok thanks, but the ‘more information” link from there is the link that has no information. So there is no explanation.

    Reply
  3. You may remember I failed to move to a volume license last December because Adobe would approve it only at update and not as a move? I’m happy to report that I was able to purchase a volume license for CS6, and all seems to be working OK – although I haven’t tried to load it on my MacBook yet. It was actually a pretty painless process – helped by not requiring any discussion with Adobe.

    Reply
    • Sure Judy, we remember! You were trying to buy the software to run on both platforms, a PC desktop and a Macbook laptop.

      So now it sounds like you were able to upgrade to CS6 with the business/volume licensing so that it will work on both operating systems… That’s great to hear, and thanks for circling back to let us know it finally worked out! Hope you enjoy Creative Suite 6 with your new setup.

  4. So wait, if I’ve already purchased the CS6 software for PC, I’d have to return it and purchase it again (via Adobe’s site) in order to get a volume (multi-platform) license for it to work on a Mac as well?

    Also, how much would this extra license cost?

    Reply
    • Hi John,

      The regular/retail Adobe licenses are different from the volume/business licenses. Only the volume licenses will install and run cross-platform as described above. Per user, they don’t cost any extra over the standard/boxed products.

      And yes, if you want to get the business version instead of the home version, you need to simply return what you bought and order the other one… As mentioned, there is no additional charge for one over the other and you can easily purchase licenses online with a credit card.

      Lastly, if you own a suite edition prior to CS6, then you can purchase an upgrade to a volume license the same as you can buy a standard upgrade.

      Hope this helps! If you have any further questions, just post back.

  5. Mark :So you just managed it direct on the Adobe.com website Judy?

    Sorry. Just saw this. Yes, I ordered it directly through Adobe.com and I didn’t have any problem. CS6 is running great on my PC under Win7, and I couldn’t be happier with the new features. I haven’t loaded it onto the Macbook yet. It’s my “travel computer,” and I just haven’t had time. Maybe this weekend.

    Reply
  6. Okay, last question; What if I didn’t buy the student edition CS6 from Adobe but like from Amazon (because Amazon’s price had it for about $430)? Do I send it back to Amazon or to Adobe? and if so would I then get charged the extra $200 (because Adobe’s price for the multi-platform version is $599) or will Adobe just honor the price I originally paid?
    Thanks.

    Reply
  7. Hi there,

    I am in the process of upgrading to CS6 from CS5. One client has made the move so I need to keep up. My question is: what right do I have to keep CS5 running (specifically InDesign) alongside CS6 if I upgrade rather than purchase a new standalone copy of CS6? Does Adobe care, or will I be breaking any laws/software agreements by doing this?

    The impact will be noticed as several CS5-using colleagues will need to upgrade too when they don’t really need to.

    Reply
    • That’s a great question Simon – and it’s quite a common one with InDesign because of the file format differences between releases.

      You’ll be happy to know that it’s no problem to continue using CS5 after upgrading, and in fact to be able to run them side-by-side – with some conditions… Read here for more details on the terms of use for your previous version.

      Of course, if you purchase a full new standalone license for CS6 then you would have no restrictions at all on what you could do with your older copy – including selling or giving it away, for those who would want to do that.

      Hope this fully answers your question, if not then just post back!

  8. I actually have valid/legal/registered copies of Adobe Master Suite CS5 for both Windows and Mac. Is there any way I can convert both of these two licenses into a single volume license? This would be done so I can purchase an upgrade to Adobe Master Suite CS5.5, and receive the complimentary upgrade to CS6 without having to “double up” on successive upgrades.

    Reply
  9. Thanks for your advice, I’ve spent a couple hours just going through the comment sections of other postings.

    I purchased the CS5.5 Upgrade for Mac within the “March 26, 2012 and May 6, 2012” time period. I just wanted to look into this option before I applied for the Post-Announce Upgrade Request (which I know ends on Aug 5). Speaking of which, what serial do I need to send for my Post-Announce Upgrade Request? I’m opting not to install my Upgrade version of CS5.5, do I still need to register it on Adobe before the Post-Announce Upgrade Request? Could I send them my proof of purchase for the CS5.5 Upgrade and my registered serial for CS5?

    From what I’ve read on both this website and Adobe’s, I know that if I upgraded to a volume license, i could run on both platforms. What is the upgrade policy for a volume license? If I would still have to purchase separate upgrades for both Win and Mac, then I don’t think I’ll go that route.

    Could you also provide more information on the Volume License Upgrade Plan? I’ve read everything there is to read about it on Adobe’s Volume website, but i’m still unsure of how it works/what plan is eligible/etc.

    Reply
    • OK Scott, got it – so you’re saying you already bought the CS5.5 software but haven’t submitted the free upgrade request yet – and that your purchase fell within the eligible grace period for complimentary upgrades, which has now passed.

      The Post-Announce Upgrade Request instructions don’t specify which serial number, just that it be registered… Presumably it is the most recent one (CS5.5), which wouldn’t be an issue for customers that purchased directly from Adobe because the upgrades arrived automatically without any paperwork.

      The free upgrade grace period was also in effect for volume (or “business”) licenses, but you would have had to purchase a volume license upgrade instead of a regular one to receive a CS6 volume license now.

      However, anyone can still purchase an upgrade to a CS6 volume license from older retail products at any time… In other words, if you’ve got an ordinary CS5 license, you can simply purchase the CS6 volume upgrade instead of the regular upgrade and it won’t cost any more. That new CS6 volume license will then have the characteristics described in the article above, including receiving two serial numbers for both Windows and Mac OS.

      Last note, on the Upgrade Plan – it’s effectively a version maintenance program at additional cost but has been phased out for TLP, which is the program described here.

  10. Thanks for the information. I’ve been quite stumped trying to find information regarding the Upgrade Plan (I guess since it was being phased out). Out of curiosity, any ideas as to what would happen if I sent both my CS5 serial for Mac and for PC, but Proof of Purchase for only the CS5.5 for Mac Upgrade?

    I’m still a little curious about the volume license. I know with a single license, you can activate your product on two computers of the same platform (2 Mac’s or 2 PC’s), but you cannot run them simultaneously. If I purchased a volume license (for myself, a single seat?), would this mean I could run simultaneously on one Mac and one PC? If I had a volume license, would I still have to purchase separate updates for both Mac and PC?

    Finally, could you explain a little about what was posted above as “offer a credit against past qualifying purchases.” I followed the link, read everything, but didn’t see anything regarding a credit system. I’ve also searched and read up on Adobe’s Volume Licensing page. Like I said, I have separate licenses for CS5 Master Suite on Mac and PC. Since I currently use the Mac platform the most, I plan on applying my Post-Announce Upgrade on that platform. I just feel like I’ve thrown away a couple thousand dollars by doing nothing with my PC license of CS5 (especially in light of Adobe’s upgrade policy change). My ideal solution was probably for the original retailer to inform me about a volume license instead of telling me, “the only way to run on both platforms is to buy both products.”

    Sorry for so many questions, but I’ve called, chatted, emailed, “opened cases” on Adobe’s website and have gotten no information or advice. This seems to be one of the few outlets to get any semblance of usable information.

    Reply
    • Sure Scott. As far as we’re aware, Adobe’s offering a credit against past qualifying purchases has to do with providing an upgrade path from existing retail products to a new volume license. If you look at the last FAQ in the Purchasing Policies section on that linked page, you’ll see:

      “Can I upgrade my validly licensed individual boxed Adobe product to a volume license?”

      And for more information regarding the multiplatform capability of the volume/business licenses, see this full article:

      How to Install or Run Adobe CS6 on Both Windows PC and Mac OS

      Lastly, for your free upgrade offer to CS6 – since you purchased the Retail CS5.5 Upgrade for Mac, then Adobe is going to send you the same for CS6.

  11. Hi
    We have the main design/marketing office in the UK and have 1x Adobe Creative Suite Premium CS5.5, and in India we have 2x Adobe Web Premium CS3 suite licences. We are looking to upgrade to CS6 plus add one additional one for our office in India. However we want to purchase them here in the UK under 1 x Licence. So we could control the use and also collaborate as a team. Would the new Creative Cloud work in situation? or is it a question of purchasing via the Adobe Business Store… Could you please give advice on the most economical way around this.

    Reply
    • Hey there John, it sounds like you could go with the volume license if you want – and that would give you a permanent upgrade to perpetual CS6 licenses for your company. Adobe provides easy upgrade paths from individual retail or boxed products to CS6 business licenses, if you want to change the type of your licensing at no additional cost.

      The Creative Cloud Team offer is another possibility if you want to pay monthly for subscription-based licenses (effectively leasing or renting), though Adobe hasn’t rolled out the Team program for Creative Cloud memberships just yet.

  12. Thanks for the Info. But i also just found out that Creative Cloud isn’t yet available in India, and have you any idea when the Team offer is due to commence?

    So let me get this straight! I could upgrade to a volume licence, would this take into consideration the 2 x Adobe Web Premium CS£ suites we have in India? Along with the Creative suite 5.5 I have here in the UK?

    Reply
    • Sure John, glad to help. We don’t know when Creative Cloud would be sold in India, nor when the Team offer would be available – Adobe has only said later in 2012.

      For the regular (perpetual) volume licenses – yes, if you are the same corporate entity, then you should be able to upgrade all your seats to a single CS6 business license. In your case, that would be 3 seats with one serial number and the flexibility of Adobe’s online LWS tool to easily manage your license usage, including running the software on multiple operating systems – both Windows and Mac OS if you need to.

      Any single customer would be able to do this actually – there is no limit to the number of licenses you can buy under the program, and you don’t actually have to be a business to take advantage of it… Anyone (including individuals) can buy or upgrade through the volume licensing store at no additional cost.

  13. Thanks for all your help! much appreciated, in slight quandary now whether to upgrade to CS6 Business license or wait and see if they roll out the Creative Cloud in India anytime soon.

    Kind Regards
    John

    Reply
  14. Hi, I have a question regarding the Edu program. I’m a student located in Europe (UK and Germany). When I click on your link it takes me to the North American store and I could purchase a full license of the Master Collection for both operating system platforms for $999 – however, when I want to change the location of the store, I’m just taken to the normal education store where I can choose only one of the two platforms. Am I right in assuming that the multi-platform version of the student edition is only available in NA, then?

    Reply
  15. Thank you for your answer. So currently, I would have to decide on which platform I want to run it or buy both licenses, right? (As I’m still only a student, I can’t afford the regular priced version)

    Reply
  16. Hello, my question is similar to John’s above, but is actually two questions.

    First, I bought 3 Design Standard and 1 Master Collection of CS6 via Amazon as standalone copies, but want to change them to volume licenses. According to Adobe Chat, the representative told me I can easily return the copies that I purchased from Amazon which I installed it to my desktop already. But you mention above that it is NOT possible and I should return it to Adobe. Could you please make clear this again? She said I can resolve this problem very easily with customer service.

    Second, is it possible to manage the license of Design Standard and Master Collection version at the same time by using the same serial number? Or should I use a different serial number for each different version?

    Sincerely,
    Yang

    Reply
    • Welcome Yang, thanks for your questions. Since what you want to have is volume licenses, and they don’t come from Amazon, first you should definitely try to return what you bought to Amazon itself…

      If Amazon won’t take them back for some reason, then you can return the software directly to Adobe for a refund, even if it’s already opened and installed – see:

      How to Exchange, Return, or Refund Adobe Software

      Then, once you have those retail boxes returned, you can simply order the volume licenses instead for the exact same suites. You will receive those instantly from Adobe and don’t even have to uninstall your existing tools… Just Deactivate the software from the Help menu, and then reactivate with your new license key(s).

      Regarding serial numbers – with the volume (or business) licenses, you get one for each different product, per platform. So since CS6 Design Standard and CS6 Master Collection are different titles, they will two have different serial numbers. But your 3 Design Standards will share the same serial number across computers of the same operating system. Does that make sense?

      If you have any further questions, just post back!

  17. I need 3 seats but have 18 desks…Is there really no solution for this other than buying 9 retail?…Adobe seems to have missed out on what a license was for.

    Reply
    • Hi Steve, the answer depends on which segment you’re in. Education customers can set up a floating or concurrent license plan where multiple users can share a limited number of licenses across an internal network – in that case, you need to order as many concurrent use licenses as there are individuals who can use the software simultaneously. But for commercial customers it’s different, you essentially need to get the same number of licenses that you have users in total.

  18. Hello,

    I’m liking what I’m reading about the volume licensing for use in getting just one license, but having greater flexibility in terms of versions and platforms. However, there seems to be a catch for education customers: if I’m reading the Adobe site correctly, the education edition of CS6 Design Standard is $350, but the volume license (with dual-platform flexibility) with the education discount is only brought down to $450. This doesn’t seem to be mentioned in any of the other comments here. Am I missing something or is that correct? (If so, any guess as to why the price difference?)

    Also, I notice that Amazon (direct sale, not via the shady Marketplace) sells the education priced Design Standard package for $324 instead of $350. That IS a legitimate discount, right? Is there some advantage to buying this from Adobe instead, given the $25 difference?

    And, just to confirm: the volume license (i.e. dual-platform flexible license) can only be purchased from Adobe directly, not from Amazon, correct? And includes the ability to request a free product key for an earlier version?

    Can the earlier version be run simultaneously on the same computer as the newest version, if it’s obtained through a downgrade request from a volume license?

    (If all this is right, then it would seem an education customer would have two “best choices”: get the $450 [or however much] education priced volume license from Adobe if the multi-platform ability or the prior version ability is important; otherwise get the education-priced, non-downgradable, single-platform version from Amazon for $324. Is that right?)

    Reply
    • Hey there Mike, there may be modest price differentials between Adobe’s regular education editions and the volume licenses. The volume licensed versions come from a different branch of the company – but as you noted, they have additional advantages.

      You can not buy Adobe volume licenses from Amazon. You can buy the standard releases from either Amazon direct or Adobe direct, but for a few dollars difference we prefer the latter because it’s easier, faster, greener, and gives you an indisputable proof of purchase record plus an ongoing line of commu­nication straight with the manufacturer for future support and product updates. Note that all CS product upgrades can now only be purchased direct from Adobe.

      Finally on the question of backwards licensing – no, you cannot request a downgrade and then install/run both the current and older version at the same time. Whatever version is chosen, a single user can deploy it on up to two of his/her computers, provided the two systems are not used simulta­neously.

      Hope this answers all your questions!

    • Yes Chelicera, Adobe’s volume (or “business”) licensing is for anyone who needs to have the product installed on more than two computers… It is also for anyone who needs to run more than a single copy of the software at once, because that is all that is allowed per Adobe’s EULA.

      So if you have more than one simultaneous user, or need more than two install­ations, this is your solution.

  19. Hello, we are trying to upgrade our CS4 to CS6 and buy some additional licenses. Ultimately what I would like is four computers with CS6.

    We have been told that if we get CS6, every time Adobe upgrades we will all have to purchase the upgrade. Is this true? Only one will be used regularly, the other three are for back up.

    Thank you

    Reply

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