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Founder
Joined: 09 Mar 2002
Posts: 43412
Location: Columbia, SC
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 Yesterday, when I got up, came into work and turned on my computer, and saw the headline in my new posts "Adobe buys Macromedia," I just thought, "Isn't April Fools behind us?" But a quick check of the big news web sites confirmed the $3.4 billion deal. If all goes according to plan, come this fall, Macromedia will be no more and Adobe will own not only its own stable of graphic design applications, but also a barrel full of complementary and competitive programs. Adobe Flash, anyone? The article below comes in response and alongside (in quotes) an article by David McFarland at Macworld.
"What this acquisition means for the future of the two companies is, of course, up in the air. From a strategic, corporate, mile-high perspective, the acquisition isn't about capturing the competition or crushing competing programs; it's a move by Adobe to gain ground in the growing market of internet applications and the delivery of information over the Web. Adobe is a formidable presence in the graphic arts world - there's probably not a single design department in a Fortune 500 company that doesn't use it products. And the defacto standard for electronic documents, Portable Document Format, is as ubiquitous as 1040 forms," (which, of course, you can download in PDF format from the IRS and probably did last week... you did do your taxes right?).
"But aside from Adobe's video products, most of their technologies are stuck in "old media" and the static world of print. They've captured that market; it's time to move on. Macromedia, on the other hand, has put most of their resources into dynamic media: Web design applications (Dreamweaver/Fireworks), online Web conferencing and presentations (Breeze), server-based Web solutions (Cold Fusion, JRun, Flex), and, the jewel of the crown, Flash."
Now I think it's safe to say that without Flash, Adobe probably wouldn't have been interested in purchasing Macromedia. But a technology that started out as nothing more than an animation program has morphed into a powerful real-time information delivery tool that can access data across the Web, read from and update databases, act as the front end for complex Web applications, and even run as a desktop program free from the constraints of a Web browser. I personally find flash to be one of the greatest tools of the new-age interenet, and I confidently believe it's the future; if and when the broadband world catches up to it. Flash, in many ways, is far ahead of the game... and now, so is Adobe.
"If Adobe is the darling of art departments, Macromedia is the up-and-coming star of the IT set. This is the kind of "synergy" Adobe is alluding to -- left and right sides of the brain taking over the universe (or at least trying to hold its own against Microsoft.) But, this high-level corporate strategy stuff isn't much consolation to us users of Photoshop, Fireworks, Director, and the other applications of the Adobe/Macromedia pantheon -- the rabble who use these programs day to day to get our work done. Newsgroups are abuzz with predictions about the two companies and their products. Users on both sides of the fence are rightfully concerned, and wonder what will become of the products they most cherish -- especially products like Freehand and Illustrator, or Dreamweaver and GoLive, which compete head to head. It seems unlikely that Adobe would keep two illustration and two web design programs alive for long."
The general consensus is, and I agree full heartedly, that Adobe may attempt to integrate features from competing programs. Alternatively, Adobe may just scrap programs that compete with theirs -- "bye-bye, Freehand."
"Despite all of the hand wringing, doom-saying and prognostications, it's obviously too early to predict the future. Anyone who tells you what the future holds for these two companies and their products doesn't really know what he's talking about." So, with that all done and said, here's what the future holds for these two companies and their products from my point of view:
• It's likely that all of Macromedia's surviving products will have a facelift. Adobe's polished user interface will become the standard, and Flash will finally be freed from its legal restraints.
• Freehand is discontinued since Illustrator is already top-dog; integration doesn't seem logical or likely
• Dreamweaver reigns supreme, while GoLive gets the can. Dreamweaver has dominant market share and (rightly or wrongly) is seen as the more "professional" of the two programs. However, seamlessly integrating Dreamweaver into the Adobe Creative Suite will be tricky. Regardless, Dreamweaver should continue to take charge of the market once dominated by Frontpage.
• Fireworks will also likely disappear (but slowly). Photoshop is Adobe's real shining star, and the vector-orientation of Fireworks just doesn't mesh with Photoshop's workflow (though I admit I wish it was integrated more).
• Acrobat Reader will incorporate the Flash player and vice-versa.
• Director? You're guess is as good as mine.
• InDesign will be probably gain some ground, especially on programs like Quark.
"A lot of paperwork and legal stuff needs to happen before Adobe takes over, so the final merged corporation won't be around until this fall. For the time being it's business as usual -- the two companies will remain separate entities, and the product lines will continue as is. Creative Suite 2 will be marketed with full fury, I'm sure, and according to Adobe, the release of a new version of Macromedia's Studio MX scheduled for later this year will be unaffected."
Overall I find the news pretty exciting and I look forward to seeing where this goes. I have long used both companies products extensively, so the merger means good news for most of us web masters already accustomed to using the different program suites. Now, maybe with more integration we can use a single set of tools for the job that once required several. Here's hoping this merger goes well; or at the least... better than some of the others in recent history.
 
John C. Derrick
Chairman of the Board
Sources: Macworld
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