Our Story

The Problem We Saw

Publishing has always depended on strong subscriptions and circulation management. But too many publishers are still stuck with outdated systems, patchwork solutions, and manual workarounds that slow growth and add costs.

• Legacy bureau systems that haven’t kept pace with the industry
• Disjointed tools for subscriptions, circulation, CRM, and CMS
• Stressful ABC/BPA audits and compliance challenges

We knew publishers needed something better.

Our Story — Why We Built Adept

Rob Sherwood, Adept’s founder, began his career working for leading bureaux including CDS Global and WDIS. After years of experience delivering bureau services for major publishers, Rob saw the need for a bureau model that truly matched the needs of modern publishing.

In 2011 Rob launched Dev Partners, now Adept’s sister business, focused on custom software development. Building on that success, he founded Adept Data Services to combine bureau expertise with modern technology. As part of that journey, Adept acquired proven publishing software from CDS Global, and developed it into today’s Avio platform.

The result is unique: a business that offers both modern bureau services and a powerful all-in-one publishing platform. Whether you run Avio in-house or rely on Adept’s bureau team, you get the same combination of subscription expertise, circulation management, and technology that actually fits publishing.

Why Publishers Choose Adept

We’re more than a bureau. We’re more than software. We’re both — under one roof, built on decades of experience, and focused entirely on helping publishers simplify operations, cut costs, and grow audiences.