Adobe's Bad Move

The latest vendor--but certainly not the only one--to come to the table with a major release without seeking partner input is Adobe Systems. The company last week introduced what is potentially a game-changing product and service opportunity for tens of thousands of VARs serving the legal, insurance and government markets (see story on page 90). The only problem is that VARs apparently were a complete afterthought for the vendor.

The new Adobe offering, unveiled in conjunction with GeoTrust, is a secure turnkey digital signature and certification solution for PDF documents. The offering marks the first time that Adobe has brought highly secure document-certification capabilities to the all-important PDF document standard.

The problem is that Adobe admits VARs were completely out of the loop in terms of product development and beta testing, and the company is initially selling the solution direct. So, no solution provider program exists for what clearly should be a mass-market product--particularly given the ubiquitous nature of Adobe PDFs.

One sign of just how out of touch Adobe is with the partner community is how little thought was actually given to tailoring a version of the new service for small and midsize businesses that are desperate for secure PDF technology. Granted, Adobe and GeoTrust, one of the few digital-certification authorities with a strong channel program, are aiming to bring the service to VARs over the next three to six months. GeoTrust, in fact, is recruiting VARs and says the majority of sales will go through the channel. But a big opportunity has been missed. Solution provider involvement from the get-go surely would have yielded product and service features, pricing and positioning advantages, and a wealth of other benefits.

Adobe was clearly shooting high with the new digital signature and certification standard. But because the company left solution providers out of the equation, it has missed its target.

What do you think of Adobe? Let me know at (781) 839-1221 or via e-mail at [email protected].