Adobe CEO hits Australia amid price crisis

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shantanu-narayen

blog Wondering why Adobe suddenly harmonised some of its Creative Cloud Australian pricing this week? Well, the move may have something to do with the company’s summons to appear before the parliamentary committee examining Australian IT price markups. It may also have something to do with a visit to Sydney by the vendor’s global president and chief executive Shantanu Narayen. Adobe today invited the press to attend a launch tomorrow morning in Sydney with the executive:

“Adobe’s President and CEO Shantanu Narayen will be joined by Senator Stephen Conroy and NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell to officially open Adobe’s new Sydney office and demonstration facility.”

Delimiter will be in attendance with a video camera in tow to watch the chief executive take questions from the media about … what else? The fact that Adobe charges up to $1,400 more for the exact same software sold in Australia, compared with the same product in the US. Let’s hope Narayen can come up with some satisfactory answers: We haven’t heard any so far.

Image credit: Jolie O’Dell, Creative Commons

17 COMMENTS

    • He means “in toe”; the camera is hidden in his shoe.

      On behalf of Delimiter can you ask him how he breathes with his mouth closed and a savagely deviated septum?

      • And while you’re trashing his features, let him know that Adam Gilchrist will be wanting his ears back before he leaves the country…

  1. Got your questions ready to go? Hopefully a few of us will think of some for you throughout the afternoon, giving you plenty of ammo for tomorrow.

  2. Hmm, CS6 Master Collection in the US $2599 US which is $2515 AU based on todays rate on xe.com.
    To buy the same digital download from Adobe in Australia is $4344 AU. They also state that GST applicable to shipped goods only so I gather they can’t use the old GST chestnut.

    Thats a massive 72% Aussie Tax.
    Thanks Adobe

    • It’s literally cheaper to fly to the US, buy it there, and fly back than to buy it in Australia.

  3. I somehow doubt the “Can you explain the validation for an ~70% markup difference, for an identical, digitally delivered product?” question will be answered.

    Either at the Sydney launch, or Inquiry.

  4. There is one of two companies ripping us off.
    Adobe who could be selling into the Australian market at a rip off price (isn’t this a form of transfer pricing another chance to get em Hustic) or Adobe Australia are ripping of the the channel, I wonder who own them. I know for a fact retail margins on adobe products are not 70%+.

    He looks foreign and is taking our money better deport him to Manus island just in case.

  5. I watched the video on the previous Delimiter link. It is fairly obvious that the pricing differential is deliberate. The CEO couldn’t think of an excuse and frankly couldn’t give a damn. We have people using their product and it won’t be being upgraded. They can use the current purchased version only with no further upgrades and/or find an alternative.

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