Adobe Acrobat term site license (TSL)
Adobe's new Acrobat Term Site License (TSL) option is a supplement the current Adobe Contractual License Program (CLP). We need your enrollment commitment by February 10th of each year to participate and start using the software, effective April 1st each year.
Features of the new TSL option:
- Licenses are annual (not perpetual)
- Includes updates and upgrades
- Priced by FTE (not computer)
- Simplified compliance and administration
- No need to track installations per computer
- Install on new computers mid-year at no additional cost.
- Lab computer installations included at no additional cost
- Staff and faculty allowed one additional installation for home machines used for work-related purposes.
- Support is not included
- No DVD or CD's, only downloads
order committment
If your department wishes to take part in the new program, please fill out the order committment form before February 10th.
pricing calculation
Groups enrolled in the Microsoft Consolidated Campus Agreement (MCCA) will notice that the Adobe TSL is very similar to the MCCA. Licensing is based upon your FTE (according to payroll). Employees that aren’t “knowledge workers” (those that don’t regularly use computers on the job) need not be counted, such as groundskeepers, building maintenance workers, and food service workers. Employees who use a computer only to clock in and out, or only for other brief work-related tasks, can also be excluded from your department count.
If campus-wide demand for these products is sufficient to proceed with this agreement, the annual expected cost per FTE for UCSD departments to lease these products would be no greater than:
- Acrobat Pro Windows or Macintosh = $8.20/FTE
- Acrobat Pro Extended Windows (only) = $12.31/FTE
When deciding whether or not to participate in the TSL, a department should take into account how many computers they need to install Acrobat on, then compare the TSL as an option under two scenarios:
- Comparing TSL to the cost to renew maintenance on existing perpetual Acrobat licenses under the CLP agreement.
Maintenance under the CLP can only be renewed in two-year increments. Current CLP pricing for two years of maintenance is:- Acrobat Pro Windows or Macintosh = $17.42 +tax
- Acrobat Pro Extended Windows = $25.55 +tax
Under this scenario, the TSL has both a lower up front cost, and a lower cost per year.
- Comparing TSL to the cost to acquire new perpetual Acrobat licenses under the CLP agreement
Current CLP pricing for new perpetual Acrobat licenses is currently:
- Acrobat Pro Windows or Macintosh = $50.41 +tax
- Acrobat Pro Extended Windows = $73.41 +tax
The cost to acquire maintenance coverage on new Acrobat licenses would the same as noted above. Under this scenario, not only would the TSL cost less than the maintenance, the initial cost of the license purchase would also be avoided.
A department with a very low need to use Adobe Acrobat compared to the FTE in their department may not find the cost justified. A department wishing to deploy Acrobat widely may find this a compelling subscription option.
The effective start date for each new year's agreement is April 1, each year. A separate distribution point is used for this agreement, with different serial numbers for this annual rental of Acrobat Pro. This is a download only agreement (no physical media).
If your department would like to participate in this agreement, then let us know no later than FEBRUARY 10, 2008 by completing our order committment form.

