This week Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE) announced the release of Creative Suite 5.5, and with it a new release cycle schedule, the company hopes will enable them to get newer technology to their customers faster.

But this is still a big software company and a complex set of technologies, so don't expect miracles. What Adobe has proposed here is a 24-month new release cycle with an interim release like the one announced this week to come on an interim basis. The announcement isn't quite as specific in this regard as it is with the major releases.

In addition, Adobe announced a new subscription service. Instead of paying a huge amount of money every couple of years to own the latest and greatest from Adobe, you can now subscribe to the entire suite for $129 per month or to individual products in the suite such as Photoshop for varying prices. For instance, Photoshop will run you $35 per month, while the Design Premium suite will set you back $95 per month.

This is actually an interesting approach for creative pros who might not need every product in the suite, or might be looking for a way to establish fixed software costs. A steady monthly bill might be more attractive than a big hit every couple of years.

In addition, the upgrade includes enhanced HTML5 support and an emphasis on delivering content to mobile devices--no surprise there.

The upgrade idea is likely a response to more agile cloud services, which deliver changes quickly and as soon as they are available. It's a difficult process for an out-of-the-box software company like Adobe to match, however. Trying to speed up releases is clearly a good idea, but two years is still a very long time when it comes to software.

For more information:
- see the Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 press release

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