Macromedia on Monday will announce a new software-by-subscription program along with an upgrade to its MX line of products. The company"s new subscription service, Macromedia DevNet, will come in two flavors. The professional version gives subscribers access to the latest updates of the company"s main tools for Web development and design, including Flash and Dreamweaver, both of which are likely to be the subject of upgrades by the end of this year.
Subscribers also get access to developer resource kits, periodic add-ons that Macromedia releases to extend its major tools and provide tutorials, sample applications and other ancillary content. The professional service will cost $1,499 per year. The Essential version of the service, at $299 a year, gives developers who already have the major Macromedia tools access to the resource kits, which Macromedia plans to release quarterly.
Software makers have increasingly turned to subscriptions as a way to generate steadier revenue by ensuring adoption of product upgrades. Autodesk has been successful in moving many customers for its drafting and design tools to subscription plans. Not all efforts have been without controversy. Microsoft has tried to lock in customers for software upgrades in a similar way with a new multiyear licensing plan paid in annual installments. But many customers have balked at the move.