Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) is a leading global software company specializing in creating, publishing and distributing digital content, including graphics, illustration, photography, multimedia/video, animation, motion pictures and print. Founded in December 1982 by John Warnock and Charles Geschke, Adobe has become one of the world's largest and most influential software companies. Headquartered in San Jose, California, the company employs more than 26,000 people across the globe.
Adobe's products include Adobe Acrobat Reader and the Portable Document Format (PDF), Adobe Photoshop image editing software, Adobe Illustrator vector-based illustration software and a range of tools primarily for audio-visual content creation, editing and publishing. Its Creative Cloud subscription service allows members to access the latest versions of its innovative products.
At the same time, its digital experience segment provides solutions and services for digital advertising, marketing, analytics, social marketing, targeting, media optimization, digital experience management and cross-channel campaign management. Adobe also offers legacy products and services for eLearning solutions, technical document publishing, web application development and high-end printing.
Adobe's commitment to innovation has earned it numerous recognitions and awards, including being named one of the "100 Best Companies to Work for" by Fortune since 2000, one of the "Best Places to Work" by Glassdoor and one of Fast Company's "Brands that Matter." The company has also been featured in Maclean's magazine as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers and received a five-star rating from the Electronic Frontier Foundation concerning its handling of government data requests in 2017.
Adobe has also been the subject of criticism. Consumers have been critical of its pricing practices, with retail prices increasing to twice as much in non-U.S. countries. Its Reader and Flash programs list as some of the most-hated programs of all time, and hackers have exploited vulnerabilities in Adobe programs to gain unauthorized computer access. Consumers also criticize Adobe for pushing unwanted software and handling government data requests.
However, Adobe has continued to push the boundaries and innovate with acquisitions such as Magento Commerce, Marketo, Allegorithmic, Workfront, Frame.io and Figma. In addition, the company has added payment services to its e-commerce platform and imposed a ban on the political ads features on its digital advert sales platform as the United States presidential elections approached in 2020. With its dedication to helping customers create compelling content and experiences, Adobe will remain a key player in the software industry for the foreseeable future.
