Adobe Inc.

Adobe Systems was founded in December 1982 by John Warnock and Charles Geschke. The company was established to develop and sell the PostScript page description language, which was used in creating documents. With its innovative technology, Adobe revolutionized desktop publishing and changed the course of digital document creation.

In 1985, Adobe launched PostScript, a page description language that became a standard for printing and imaging. This technology allowed electronic and desktop publishing to thrive and provided a significant boost to the printing and graphic arts industries. PostScript's ability to describe the layout of complex pages, including text and images, with high precision made it revolutionary.

In 1993, Adobe introduced the Portable Document Format (PDF). The PDF format was designed to enable documents to be shared across computer systems while retaining the original formatting. It allowed digital documents to be viewed and printed on any machine, and became an essential tool for digital document management.

Adobe acquired its competitor Macromedia in December 2005, significantly expanding its portfolio of multimedia and creative applications. This acquisition included popular software like Flash, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks, strengthening Adobe's position in the web development and multimedia software markets. The integration allowed Adobe to enhance its Creative Suite offerings to professionals.

Adobe announced Creative Suite 3 in October 2007, marking it as the company's largest software release. This major upgrade integrated products from Macromedia, such as Flash and Dreamweaver, into Adobe's suite of applications. It provided enhanced tools for creative professionals, combining powerful design and multimedia capabilities all in one collection.

In November 2012, Adobe launched the Creative Cloud, a subscription-based model for delivering software. This marked a significant shift in Adobe's business model as they transitioned from selling perpetual software licenses to offering cloud-based services. It provided users with access to the latest versions of Adobe's creative products and services, fostering collaborative and flexible work environments.

Adobe announced its decision to discontinue the traditional perpetual license model and move exclusively to a subscription-based model with the launch of Creative Cloud in May 2013. This move transformed how creative professionals accessed Adobe's software, providing continuous access to updates and a broadened suite of offerings, albeit receiving criticism from some customers who preferred one-time purchases.

Adobe acquired Magento Commerce in May 2018, enhancing its commerce capabilities and expanding its overall Experience Cloud offering. This acquisition allowed Adobe to integrate commerce features into its digital experience solutions, supporting the creation of end-to-end digital shopping experiences. Magento's platform provided robust, open-source solutions for building and managing online sales.

In October 2018, Adobe completed its acquisition of Marketo, a leader in B2B marketing engagement. This move strengthened Adobe's capabilities in customer experience management by adding Marketo's marketing automation solutions to its suite of products. It aimed to deliver more personalized, engaging experiences across the customer journey, leveraging data and analytics to enhance marketing strategies.

Adobe announced the acquisition of Workfront, a leader in work management, in December 2020. This acquisition aimed at enhancing Adobe's capabilities in marketing and creative team collaboration. Workfront's platform provides tools for managing content, planning resources, and tracking project progress, integrating seamlessly with Adobe's Creative Cloud to improve workflow management and productivity.