Adobe 2006 Annual Report Download - page 29

Download and view the complete annual report

Please find page 29 of the 2006 Adobe annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.

Page out of 125

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • 39
  • 40
  • 41
  • 42
  • 43
  • 44
  • 45
  • 46
  • 47
  • 48
  • 49
  • 50
  • 51
  • 52
  • 53
  • 54
  • 55
  • 56
  • 57
  • 58
  • 59
  • 60
  • 61
  • 62
  • 63
  • 64
  • 65
  • 66
  • 67
  • 68
  • 69
  • 70
  • 71
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • 75
  • 76
  • 77
  • 78
  • 79
  • 80
  • 81
  • 82
  • 83
  • 84
  • 85
  • 86
  • 87
  • 88
  • 89
  • 90
  • 91
  • 92
  • 93
  • 94
  • 95
  • 96
  • 97
  • 98
  • 99
  • 100
  • 101
  • 102
  • 103
  • 104
  • 105
  • 106
  • 107
  • 108
  • 109
  • 110
  • 111
  • 112
  • 113
  • 114
  • 115
  • 116
  • 117
  • 118
  • 119
  • 120
  • 121
  • 122
  • 123
  • 124
  • 125

29
Services and Support
We provide professional services, technical support and customer service to a wide variety of customers
including consumers, creative professionals and business users. Our service and support revenue consists
primarily of consulting fees, software maintenance and support fees, and training fees.
Services
We have a global Adobe Consulting team dedicated to developing and implementing solutions for enterprise
customers in key vertical markets and to transfer technical expertise to our solution partners. The Adobe
Consulting team uses a comprehensive, customer-focused methodology to develop high quality solutions, which
in turn deliver a competitive advantage to our enterprise customers. A portfolio of technical training courses is
also available for desktop and server-based products to meet the needs of our enterprise customers and solution
partners.
Support
A significant portion of our support revenue is composed of our extended enterprise maintenance and support
offerings, which entitles customers to the right to receive product upgrades and enhancements during the term of
the maintenance and support period, which is typically one year. Regional Support Centers are charged with
providing timely, high quality technical expertise on Enterprise and Knowledge Worker Solutions products and
solutions to meet the growing needs of our customers.
Our support revenue also includes support for our desktop products. We offer a range of support programs,
from fee-based incidents to annual support contracts. Additionally, we provide extensive self-help and online
technical support capabilities via the Web, which allows customers quick and easy access to possible solutions.
We provide product support through a combination of outsourced vendors and internal support centers.
We also offer Developer Support to partners and developer organizations. The Adobe Solution Network
Developer Program focuses on providing developers with high-quality tools, software development kits,
information and services.
As a registered owner of the current version of an Adobe desktop product, customers are eligible to receive
complimentary person-to-person support on certain matters. Support for some products and in some countries
may vary.
Training
We inform customers about the use of our products through on-line informational services on our Web site
(www.adobe.com) and through a growing series of how-to books published by Adobe Press pursuant to a joint
publishing agreement with Peachpit Press. In addition, we develop tests to certify independent trainers who teach
Adobe software classes. We sponsor workshops, work with professional associations and user groups, and
conduct regular beta-testing programs.
Investments
We own limited partnership interests in three venture capital limited partnerships, Adobe Ventures L.P.,
Adobe Ventures III, L.P. and Adobe Ventures IV, L.P. (collectively “Adobe Ventures”), that have invested in
early stage companies with innovative technologies. We also make direct investments in privately held
companies. We enter into these investments with the intent of securing financial returns as well as for strategic
purposes as they often increase our knowledge of emerging markets and technologies, as well as expand our
opportunities to provide Adobe products and services. The partnerships are managed by Granite Ventures, an
independent venture capital firm and sole general partner of Adobe Ventures.
We intend to continue direct investments in new technologies and plan to invest approximately $100 million
in venture capital over the next three to five years in companies leveraging our platform technologies.