What City Desktop Training does

City Desktop Training is an Australian private training provider specialising in instructor-led courses across Adobe Creative Cloud software — including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Acrobat, Captivate, Animate, and Audition — supplemented by Apple Final Cut Pro, HTML/CSS web development, and WordPress courses. Founded in 1993 and operating as a brand under Nexacu (the administrative entity Excel Consulting Solutions Pty Ltd, ABN 88 600 429 212), the company is ultimately owned by Lumify Group, a diversified Australian technology education conglomerate. Delivery occurs through four CBD training centres (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra), live online instructor-led sessions via Zoom across Australia, and private on-site or online custom sessions at client premises; computer training room hire extends the physical footprint to Perth and Adelaide.

The business generates revenue through four streams: fixed-price public course fees (typically $415-$990 per seat depending on duration and software), quote-based private and custom corporate training, discounted multi-course bundles (e.g., Video Editing & Special Effects Package at A$3,140), and managed facility hire of equipped training rooms for 6-18 participants. Pricing is transparent for public courses, with corporate and private training priced on application. The company enforces small class sizes (maximum eight students, average four to eight) and differentiates on Adobe Expert Instructors with production experience, proprietary Australian-standard courseware, free class resits, and a 100% money-back guarantee. Customer base spans both individual professionals and enterprise clients, with named logos including Woolworths, University of Sydney, ABC, Telstra, and Qantas, and a cumulative base of more than 50,000 students trained.

City Desktop operates as a sub-brand within the Lumify Group portfolio rather than as an independent entity; bookings, invoicing, confirmation, and customer support are handled through the Nexacu platform. Marketing is predominantly direct-to-consumer via the cd.com.au website, organic search, paid search, email newsletter, social media, and Trustpilot reviews. The company carries formal Adobe Authorised Training Centre status, Adobe Training Partner designation, and Apple Pro Training partnership. No public revenue, funding, or headcount figures are disclosed, and no AI/ML capability is in evidence; the company's competitive position rests on 30+ years of brand equity, instructor talent, vendor relationships, and a multi-city Australian training footprint.

Name

City Desktop Training

Legal name

Excel Consulting Solutions Pty Ltd (ABN 88 600 429 212) T/A Nexacu / City Desktop Training

Website

https://cd.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

City Desktop Training is an Australian Adobe Creative Cloud training provider, founded in 1993 and owned by Lumify Group, delivering instructor-led courses in design, video, and web software across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Canberra plus live online nationwide. It serves individual creative professionals and enterprise clients including Qantas, Telstra, Woolworths, ABC, and University of Sydney.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Software Training Services

NAICS

Computer Training (611420), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Content Creation (Docs, Media, Presentations) (EDAAAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical & Digital Skills Training (BPACANAB), Productivity & Office Software Skills (EDAAAIAC), Software Development (Programming, Frameworks, Dev Tools) (EDABAFAA), Training Delivery Providers (In-Person, Virtual, Train-the-Trainer) (BPACANAM)

Keywords

• Adobe software training
• Creative cloud courses
• Graphic design education
• Video editing training
• Corporate team training

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public Course Fees: Individual training courses sold at fixed prices per course. Prices range from $415 to $990 per course depending on duration and complexity. Courses include InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and other Adobe software.
2. Private/Custom Corporate Training: Tailored training solutions for corporate teams delivered on-site or online. Pricing is quote-based and customised to organisation needs, group size, and curriculum requirements.
3. Training Bundles/Packages: Pre-curated course packages offering savings compared to individual bookings. Video Editing & Special Effects Package ($3,140) and Desktop Publishing Essentials Package ($2,215).
4. Room Hire: Computer training room hire for external organisations needing professional training venues in Australian capital cities. Equipped with Windows PCs, projectors, and NBN broadband.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

City Desktop Training delivers instructor-led, hands-on training courses for Adobe Creative Cloud software (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat, Captivate, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Animate, Audition) and complementary tools such as Apple Final Cut Pro, HTML/CSS web development, and WordPress. Courses are sold as scheduled public sessions at CBD training centres in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Canberra, as live online classes via Zoom, and as customised private team training for organisations. The company also offers bundled course packages and computer training room hire across Australian capital cities.

Product overview

City Desktop Training is an Adobe-focused training provider offering instructor-led courses across Adobe Creative Cloud software and select other platforms. The company provides a portfolio of individual software training courses including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat, Captivate, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Animate, and Audition, as well as non-Adobe courses for Final Cut Pro, HTML/Web Development, and WordPress. Training is delivered through three modalities: face-to-face at CBD training centers in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Canberra; live online via Zoom; and private/custom sessions at client premises or online. The company also offers bundled course packages (Video Editing & Special Effects Package, Desktop Publishing Essentials Package) for cost savings, plus computer training room hire services. City Desktop Training operates as part of Nexacu under the Lumify Group umbrella.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adobe InDesign Training Instructor-led courses teaching Adobe InDesign for page layout, print design, and digital publication creation. Offered at Essentials, Advanced, Lite, Accessibility, and Interactivity & Animation levels. Designed for graphic designers, page layout designers, and publishing professionals.
• Adobe Illustrator Training Vector graphics creation training covering poster design, logos, infographics, and fashion design. Offered at Essentials and Advanced levels. Aimed at designers, illustrators, and brand professionals.
• Adobe Photoshop Training Image editing and photo manipulation courses covering retouching, tonal correction, deep etching, and montage creation. Offered at Lite, Essentials, and Advanced levels. Designed for photographers, retouchers, and creative professionals.
• Adobe Acrobat Training PDF document management training covering editing, interactivity, multimedia embedding, and form creation. Offered at Essentials and Forms levels. Aimed at office professionals and document production teams.
• Adobe Captivate Training eLearning content creation training for responsive, interactive courses, demonstrations, and simulations. Offered at Essentials and Advanced levels. Aimed at instructional designers and eLearning developers.
• Adobe Premiere Pro Training Video editing training covering social media content, eLearning materials, corporate videos, and product demonstrations. Offered at Basics, Essentials, and Advanced levels. Aimed at video editors, content creators, and corporate communications teams.
• Adobe After Effects Training Motion graphics and visual effects training for infographics, animated logos, kinetic typography, and broadcast content. Offered at Essentials, Advanced, and Cinema 4D Lite levels. Aimed at motion designers, animators, and broadcast professionals.
• Adobe Animate Training Interactive vector animation training for games, web, and social media platforms. Offered at Essentials and Advanced levels. Aimed at animators, web designers, and interactive content creators.
• Adobe Audition Training Professional audio editing and post-production training covering waveform editing, spectral display, and multitrack mixing. Aimed at audio engineers, podcasters, and post-production professionals.
• Apple Final Cut Pro Training Professional video editing training for macOS using Apple's Final Cut Pro application, using official Apple Pro Training courseware. Aimed at video editors and content creators on the Apple platform.
• Web Design & Web Development Training HTML5 and CSS3 foundational coding training for web content editing and professional web development. Aimed at aspiring web developers, content editors, and designers building their own sites.
• WordPress Training Website creation and management training covering blogs, business sites, and eCommerce ecosystems using WordPress CMS. Aimed at small business owners, marketers, and content managers.
• Private & Custom Corporate Training Tailored training solutions delivered exclusively for organisations, allowing customization of curriculum, schedule, and location (on-site or online). Aimed at corporate teams and enterprises needing standardised skill development across employees.
• Computer Training Room Hire Professional training venue rental in Australian capital cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth) equipped with Windows PCs, projectors, and NBN broadband for groups of 6-18 participants. Aimed at training providers and organisations needing external training venues.
• Video Editing & Special Effects Courses Package Comprehensive bundle combining Premiere Pro Essentials, Premiere Pro Advanced, After Effects Essentials, and After Effects Advanced courses at a discounted price. Aimed at video editors and content creators seeking end-to-end video production skills.
• Desktop Publishing Essentials Courses Package Bundle covering InDesign Essentials, Photoshop Essentials, and Illustrator Essentials for comprehensive desktop publishing skills. Aimed at designers and publishing professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• InDesign Advanced course can save users 30 minutes per day through features like Quick Apply and GREP, potentially 90+ hours annually.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• NexacucoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNexacu (Excel Consulting Solutions Pty Ltd T/A Nexacu, ABN 88 600 429 212) is Australia's largest provider of professional software training. City Desktop Training courses are booked and administered through Nexacu, including all bookings, invoicing, confirmations, and customer support. This partnership provides City Desktop access to Nexacu's booking platform, marketing infrastructure, and administrative capabilities.
• Lumify GroupcoreOthersCity Desktop Training is owned by Lumify Group, one of Australia's leading technology education providers. Lumify Group operates a portfolio of specialist training brands across IT, cybersecurity, project management, data, and creative software disciplines. City Desktop operates under Lumify Group's umbrella, focusing exclusively on Adobe creative software training.
• AdobecoreTechnology or IntegrationCity Desktop Training is an official Adobe Training Partner and Adobe Authorised Training Centre. The company delivers courses using the latest Adobe Creative Cloud software and instructors are Adobe Expert Instructors. The partnership ensures access to official course materials and current software versions.
• NBN (National Broadband Network)supportingTechnology or IntegrationTraining rooms are equipped with NBN broadband connectivity for internet access during training sessions.
• ZoomsupportingTechnology or IntegrationLive online training sessions are delivered via Zoom's video conferencing platform.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Learning Tree International: Provider of instructor-led IT and professional development training for enterprises, with curriculum covering software applications, technical skills, and business topics. Comparable in the enterprise-focused live training model and per-course pricing structure.
• Nexacu: Direct operating partner and Australia-focused professional software training provider that books and administers City Desktop's courses. Nexacu offers overlapping Microsoft Office, Power BI, and other software training, making it both a parent/channel partner and a competitor in adjacent software training verticals.
• General Assembly: Global provider of instructor-led training and bootcamps covering Adobe creative tools, web development, and digital skills. Comparable in delivery model (in-person + live online) and creative/software curriculum focus, though operating at significantly larger scale and geographic footprint.
• ONLC Training Centers: US-headquartered IT and software training provider offering instructor-led courses across Adobe, Microsoft, and other vendor tools with computer lab rental. Comparable in the instructor-led software training model and computer room hire service line.
• New Horizons Worldwide: Global network of authorised training centres offering instructor-led courses across Adobe, Microsoft, Cisco, and other vendor certifications. Comparable in authorised training centre model, vendor certification alignment, and corporate team training delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Global online learning platform offering individual courses, professional certificates, and degree programmes including Adobe creative tool content from institutions and companies. Comparable as a competing delivery channel for the same end learner, though structured differently from instructor-led formats.
• Udemy: Global online learning marketplace with extensive catalogue of Adobe Creative Cloud courses at low individual price points. Comparable as a low-cost substitute for City Desktop's public course offering, particularly for individual learners.
• Lumify Group: City Desktop's ultimate parent company and Australia's broader technology education provider, operating multiple training brands across IT, cybersecurity, project management, data, and creative disciplines. Comparable as the broader incumbent that competes across the wider corporate training landscape City Desktop serves.
• LinkedIn Learning: Subscription-based self-paced online learning platform with extensive Adobe and creative software libraries bundled into LinkedIn Premium. Comparable as a competing channel for creative skills learning, particularly for self-directed learners.

Regional players

• TAFE NSW: Australian public vocational education provider delivering accredited and short courses in design, digital media, and IT. Comparable as a regionally-focused alternative for Australian learners seeking Adobe and creative software training, particularly in Sydney and NSW.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City Desktop Training