Adobe to Implement Scheduled Patches
Following in the footsteps of Microsoft, Adobe said this week that it plans to adopt a monthly schedule for releasing patches to its products, including the newly-acquired Macromedia line. Adrian Ludwig, manager of Adobe's security software engineering said customers don't want to be surprised.
The moves come after a spate of security holes in Flash prompted Macromedia to urge customers to install version 8. The patch schedule will cover all of Adobe's products, including the popular Adobe Reader, and begin within the next six months. Also like Microsoft, Adobe will provide advanced notification of each month's fixes.
Adobe, Macromedia Almost Together
Adobe said late Thursday that it had received clearance from the Justice Department to complete its $3.4 billion merger with software company Macromedia. In July, the DOJ indicated it was looking into the merger and requested more information on the companies' products in authoring and design, as well as vector graphics illustration.
Completion of the merger is expected on Saturday, ending a seven-month process that would create arguably the most powerful multimedia and design company in the industry. Adobe also announced that it would provide analysts a look into the newly combined company's finances in a conference call scheduled for December 15.
DOJ Reviewing Adobe-Macromedia Deal
The U.S. Department of Justice has asked for more information regarding the proposed $3.4 billion merger of Adobe and Macromedia, the two companies announced on Monday. The information requested by the DOJ centers around the companies' products in authoring and design, as well as vector graphics illustration.
Company officials said they are in the process of gathering the necessary information and will cooperate fully with the DOJ's investigation. "[Adobe and Macromedia] expect to hold meetings of their respective stockholders to approve the acquisition in September 2005 and still anticipate that the transaction will close in Fall 2005," the two companies said in a statement.
Adobe Buys Macromedia for $3.4 Billion
In a stock deal valued at $3.4 billion, Adobe on Monday announced it has acquired rival Macromedia. The merger, which brings together Adobe's ubiquitous PDF document format and graphics suite with Macromedia's market-leading animation tools, pits the combined company squarely against Microsoft.
Under the buyout terms, Macromedia shareholders receive 0.69 shares of Adobe for every Macromedia share. The number represents a 25 percent premium over Macromedia's stock price. The deal is expected to close in the fall pending regulatory approvals.
Adobe Finalizes Linux Acrobat Reader
Adobe has followed up its March public beta of Acrobat Reader 7 for Linux with a version it has deemed final. The release brings back the PDF viewer for the open source platform, after Adobe skipped version 6. The company cited customer demand for creating a Linux edition, although it took Adobe three extra months to prepare.
"The rate of adoption of the Linux operating system among enterprises worldwide - especially among government and financial services organizations - is increasing," said Eugene Lee, Adobe vice president of product marketing. Acrobat Reader 7 includes new commenting tools and support for 3D CAD graphics.
Adobe Introduces Creative Suite 2
As expected, Adobe announced on Monday version 2 of its Create Suite software line, which will begin shipping in May. Adobe CS2 brings with it new releases of Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator and GoLive. Details of Photoshop CS2 leaked out last week in an accidental early posting of a press release.
Creative Suite 2 also includes a new release of Version Cue, Adobe's file-version manager and collaboration tool, along with the previously released Acrobat Professional 7.0.
Adobe Set to Announce Photoshop CS2
BetaNews has learned that Adobe is planning to announce a major upgrade to its popular Photoshop image editing suite next Monday. Details slipped out in an accidental early posting of a press release, which has since been removed.
Dubbed Adobe Photoshop CS2, the new release promises better tools to fix common image problems such as red eye and blemishes, as well as updated support for raw, or uncompressed, images. The software is expected to start shipping in May.
Adobe Tests New PDF Reader for Linux
Although it opted not to offer version 6 of its Adobe Reader PDF viewer for Linux, Adobe has once again joined the open source movement with version 7. The company is offering a pre-release program for Adobe Reader 7.0 for Linux, allowing users to sign up and join the beta test. The new Adobe Reader, however, does not support legacy Windows versions including 9x and Me.
Adobe also announced on Thursday the availability of its Acrobat 7.0 line of products, which was introduced in November. New capabilities permit workgroups to use Acrobat 7 and Adobe's PDF format to manage business activities including form building, assembling documents from multiple sources and secure collaboration on projects outside of firewalls.
Adobe Leaves Behind 9x with Acrobat 7
Customers who have not made the upgrade to Windows 2000 SP2 or XP will find themselves unable to view and create the newest PDF files. Adobe Acrobat 7.0 does not support the Windows 9x code base; instead, Adobe has opted to offer its latest release only to users who are running recent versions of Windows.
The 7.0 release offers up many enhancements that industry analysts have hailed as "groundbreaking," but will not be back ported to earlier versions of Windows. Acrobat Reader 5 and 6 will remain as the primary options for legacy Windows platforms.
Adobe Pushes New Acrobat 7 Line
Adobe has announced version 7.0 of its Acrobat family of products. New capabilities permit workgroups to use Acrobat 7 and Adobe's PDF format to manage business activities including form building, assembling documents from multiple sources and secure collaboration on projects outside of firewalls. In addition, the free Acrobat Reader will now have integrated commenting tools. Adobe has also introduced a new content type for PDF: 3D computer-aided design (CAD). Acrobat 7 will ship before the end of the year with retail pricing starting at $299 USD.
Adobe on Target for "Acrobat X"
As first reported by CNET News.com, Adobe Systems is on track to ship a major update of its Acrobat document management software by the end of the calendar year dubbed "Acrobat X". Acrobat, a suite of tools for authoring documents in Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF), is the lynchpin of Adobe's "intelligent document" platform strategy.
Adobe's intelligent document push consists of three main pillars: "intelligent" PDF documents, a universal client and XML powered Document Services. This approach enables documents to be integrated into business processes and extend beyond the firewall.
Adobe Delivers Photoshop Elements 3.0
Adobe has announced the third generation release of Photoshop Elements, its digital photo editing and sharing software aimed at consumers. With digital cameras quickly become a staple of everyday life, Adobe is facing increased competition by rival software packages and has upped the ante in its latest Elements upgrade.
Photoshop Elements 3.0 adds a one-click photo enhancement tool, improved red eye removal, as well as support for processing images in RAW format. Based upon Photoshop CS, the new Elements also includes the Healing Brush and Spot Healing Brush for fixing blemishes on digital photos.
Adobe Beta Tests 'Designer' XML Form Tool
Adobe has begun external beta tests of Adobe Designer 6.0, a graphical XML form design tool. Designer falls into the "generation" branch of Adobe's Intelligent Document Platform strategy, and automates form-base workflows. The Intelligent Document Platform generates, processes, and secures documents in the enterprise.
When combined with other Adobe document products and services, Designer connects to backend systems to automate business processes and collaboration between internal and external users.
Adobe Introduces Creative Suite Package
Adobe Systems on Monday revealed that it is lassoing together a collection of its most popular software products into a single design environment hailed as the Adobe Creative Suite. The Creative Suite retails in Standard and Premium editions that couple design tools with Adobe's new Version Cue file management system, and features the portable document format (PDF) to facilitate workflow.
Adobe product literature catalogs full-version upgrades of Photoshop CS, Illustrator CS, InDesign CS, GoLive CS, Acrobat 6.0 Professional and Version Cue. The standard release strips out GoLive CS and Acrobat 6.0 Professional from the suite, resulting in a less pricey alternative geared toward print design and layout.
Adobe Prepares Photoshop Album
Adobe on Monday announced an extension to its Photoshop product line designed to organize and share photos on a PC. Dubbed Photoshop Album, the new application joins other one-stop solutions for digital camera owners, such as Apple's iPhoto.
Photoshop Album takes photos from a camera, scanner, or CD and uses a tagging system to categorize photos by date and customized keywords. Users can then assemble slide shows or photo albums, and even create cards and calendars.
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