As you've probably noticed, big changes are underway in the high-tech industry at large, and more specifically in the graphics software world. Earlier this week, Adobe announced that it will discontinue the boxed version of Creative Suite and move exclusively to a subscription-based model (AKA Creative Cloud). This means that going forward, the only way to keep up-to-date with the latest offering from Adobe will be by paying monthly fees. When you stop paying, your products will stop working. Looking at it from the outside, one could argue that it feels like forcing users down a specific path they might not be ready to go down.

At Corel, we strongly believe in giving users the choice to purchase your software the way you want. For many of you, we know that the preference is to purchase a box or download version of our products in what is called a "perpetual license", i.e. in a way that gives you the right to use the product forever without having to pay anything extra. You then have the choice, if the new features and benefits make sense to you, to purchase and upgrade to a new version.

At the same time, we understand that some of you are looking for the flexibility to rent your software as needed, so you can reduce the capital costs for your businesses and have an operating expense that is much lower in the short term.

There isn't one solution that will work for everyone, and we have different offerings for different products in our portfolio.

You have options!

To make it as easy as possible for you, our professional-level graphics package, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6, is available to purchase as a box, an electronic download, through volume license or by subscription. If you choose to subscribe for no up-front cost, you simply choose a monthly or yearly fee to continue using the software as long as you need it.

There are differences between traditional box or download sales and the subscription model. The traditional software offering, where you buy a box and then wait a few years until the next major version is released to decide if you want to upgrade or not, has limitations when it comes to releasing smaller updates more frequently. Subscription does make it easier for us to deliver more regular updates, but there's still a significant portion of users around the world who aren't ready to rent their software. That's why we've introduced our Membership program.

Not ready for subscription? We have an answer!

When you purchase your box or download version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6, it comes with a Standard Membership at no additional cost. Standard Membership gives you access to the latest performance and stability enhancements, as well as unlimited access to a large content library of over 10,000 clipart images, 1,000 high-resolution stock photos and 1,000 fonts, for example.

For those who want the best of both worlds, we also offer Premium Membership where you get all the benefits of subscription, but you still own a perpetual license of the product.

For a yearly fee, Premium Membership adds to the Standard level by including regular feature updates to CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, as well as exclusive high-quality content. In addition, Premium Members automatically get access to the next major version(s) of the suite. Yes, all Premium Members will be amongst the very first to get access to the latest version at no additional cost when Corel officially releases it. In other words, by adding a Premium Membership to your box / download version of CorelDRAW, you have the benefits of what you would get with a subscription (always up-to-date, exclusive content and more) combined with the perpetual usage right of the product you purchased.

What's next?

For the foreseeable future, we will continue to sell the box version of Corel software in stores, through online partners and on our website - www.corel.com. You can also purchase a full download version through our website and through selected channel partners. Both the box and the download version are perpetual licenses, i.e. they will never expire and you can keep using them forever (we do not commit to compatibility with future operating systems or hardware though).

And as stated above, you can add even more benefits to a box / download version by signing up for the CorelDRAW Premium Membership, for which a free trial is available to any Standard Member from within CorelDRAW / Corel PHOTO-PAINT. Alternatively, if you're looking for a cost effective or short-term solution, you can subscribe to CorelDRAW on an annual or monthly basis (subscriptions are available from Corel or selected resellers). The choice is yours!

Give us a try!

If subscribing to software from Adobe is not your preferred choice, don't cloud your judgment... give CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6 a try. We do offer a 30-day free trial version, which includes extensive learning materials, and you can even set your workspace to the Illustrator mode to feel more at home.

Happy CorelDRAWing!