A key element of what has been called "web 2.0" -- along with ideas such as user-generated content and social networks -- is the concept of "rich Internet applications" (or, as Microsoft recently termed them, "rich interactive applications"), which use the web as a platform for new types of online experiences. From delivering browser-based software that functions like a traditional desktop application to providing immersive video experiences online, a new generation of Internet-connected applications is beginning to evolve. And several technology companies are vying to lead the way.
Currently, Adobe Systems may have the strongest hand in this emerging arena of web-enabled applications. And the company's recent whirlwind of announcements seems designed to secure that lead.
On March 27, Adobe announced Creative Suite 3, the new version of its print, web and rich media authoring tools, and the largest product release in the company's 25-year history. A few days earlier, the company released a public "alpha" (early pre-release version) of its Apollo platform on Adobe's "Labs" web site. At the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) trade show on April 13,it announced the Adobe Media Player, a forthcoming desktop application built around the video capabilities of Adobe's Flash platform. And on April 26, Adobe announced plans to release the code for its Flex software development kit under an open source license.
Behind this flurry of activity is an attempt to establish the company's development tools and software platforms -- including Flash, PDF and the forthcoming Apollo -- as the foundation for the next generation of interactive web-enabled applications.
The company with the most to lose if Adobe succeeds is Microsoft. Although Microsoft's operating systems, productivity applications and server products still generate a significant majority of its revenue, as Microsoft chief software architect [continue]
Page 1 of 17
> >>