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Milestone Release Radically Improves Creative Workflow Efficiency; Redefines Collaboration Between Designers and Developers

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Oct. 15, 2008 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the immediate availability of the Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 product family, the highly-anticipated release of industry-leading design and development software for virtually every creative workflow. Delivering radical breakthroughs in workflow efficiency – and packed with hundreds of innovative, time saving features – the new Creative Suite 4 product line advances the creative process across print, Web, interactive, film, video and mobile.

Customers can choose from six new versions: Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium, Design Standard, Web Premium, Web Standard, Production Premium and Master Collection. The combination of Creative Suite and the new capabilities of Adobe Flash® Player 10, also available today (see separate press release) deliver new levels of creativity and expressiveness across media channels. Designers using the Adobe Creative Suite 4 product family will gain unprecedented creative control using the new expressive features and visual performance improvements in Adobe Flash Player 10 to deliver breakthrough Web experiences across multiple browsers and operating systems.

“Creative Suite 4 and Flash Player 10 introduce vital time-saving features, new levels of integration and the jaw-dropping innovations our design and developer customers expect from us,” said John Loiacono, senior vice president, Creative Solutions Business Unit at Adobe.

“CS4 continues to fulfill our promise to customers to break down more barriers in cross-media workflows, while also providing new services and collaboration tools that help them manage complex client demands.”

As part of the CS4 product launch, the largest in Adobe’s history, also available today are brand new versions of Photoshop® CS4, Photoshop CS4 Extended, InDesign® CS4, Illustrator® CS4, Flash CS4 Professional, Dreamweaver® CS4, Fireworks® CS4, Contribute® CS4, After Effects® CS4, Adobe Premiere® Pro CS4, Encore® CS4, Soundbooth® CS4 and Adobe OnLocation™ CS4.

Intuitive Workflows Improve Creative Efficiency
A simplified workflow in Adobe Creative Suite 4 enables users to design across media more efficiently by making it easier to complete common tasks and move content seamlessly among applications. InDesign CS4 includes a new Live Preflight tool that allows designers to catch production errors and a newly customizable Links panel to manage placed files more efficiently. The revolutionary new Content-Aware Scaling tool in Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended automatically recomposes an image as it is resized, preserving vital areas as it adapts to new dimensions. An expanded version of Dynamic Link in CS4 Production Premium enables users to move and update content between After Effects CS4, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, Soundbooth CS4, and Encore CS4 without rendering, saving countless hours in production. With deep XMP metadata support, the production workflow is simplified, resulting in online content that gives viewers new ways to interact with and search for video, while giving content owners new opportunities to track and monetize content.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 brings 3D center-stage providing the ability to paint, composite, and animate 3D models using familiar tools in Photoshop CS4 Extended. Flash CS4 Professional now offers the ability to apply tweens to objects instead of keyframes, providing greater control over animation attributes. Also in Flash CS4 Professional, the new Bones tool helps create more realistic animations between linked objects. With a searchable library of more than 450 dynamically updated device profiles from leading manufacturers, Adobe Device Central CS4 enables users to easily test mobile content designed using many of the Creative Suite 4 products.

New and Expanded Services Extend Capabilities for Online Collaboration
Adobe Creative Suite 4 now also offers a host of services* for online collaboration. Adobe ConnectNow, a service of Acrobat.com, allows real-time collaboration with two colleagues or clients. Designers can also share color harmonies with Adobe Kuler™

Other online resources include: Adobe Community Help for technical questions; Resource Central for accessing video and audio product-related news and tutorials, as well as Soundbooth scores and sound effects; and Adobe Bridge Home, a customizable resource for tips, tutorials, news and inspirational content.

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Creative Suite 4 and its associated point products are immediately available through Adobe Authorized Resellers and the Adobe Store at www.adobe.com/store . Estimated street price for the Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium is US$1799, US$1699 for Adobe Creative Suite 4 Web Premium, US$1699 for Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, and US$2499 for Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection. To reward customers for staying current, Adobe is offering Creative Suite 3 customers moving to Creative Suite 4 a lower upgrade price than it offers to those moving from older, qualifying versions. For a limited time, a special introductory offer enables customers with older qualifying products to enjoy the same lower price with savings of up to US$200 off their actual upgrade price. For more detailed information please visit www.adobe.com/creativesuite .

Adobe Flash Player 10 is available immediately as a free download for Windows, Macintosh and Linux platforms (including new support for Ubuntu 7 and 8  ) from www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer .

About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information – anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com .

Original post by PSN Editorial Staff

Landmark Release Packs Powerful Editing Punch and Harnesses the Creative Potential of 3D

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 23, 2008 - Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe(r) Photoshop(r) CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended, the highly anticipated, new editions of the professional industry standard software for digital imaging. Providing a fluid user experience, complete creative control and higher efficiency, Photoshop CS4 leverages the power of the latest hardware to extend imaging possibilities and offer faster, more flexible ways to accomplish core tasks like image adjustments and masks. All of these features and more can be found in Photoshop CS4 Extended, which serves users with advanced motion graphics functions, dramatically expanded 3D visualization capabilities and precise image analysis.

Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended will be available as stand-alone applications or key components of the Adobe Creative Suite® 4 family (see separate releases).

“Photoshop is about delivering cutting-edge innovation that really pushes the boundaries of digital image editing,” said Kevin Connor, vice president of product management for professional digital imaging at Adobe. “This version is no exception with some stunning new imaging technology that complements our work to bring more control, simplicity and speed to everyday tasks. By streamlining the most popular workflows for the professional, technical or home user, Photoshop CS4 brings new levels of accessibility to the gold standard in digital imaging software.”

Photoshop CS4 software now makes impossible tasks, possible. Content-Aware Scaling adds a revolutionary technology that enables users to intelligently size and scale images with a simple drag of the mouse. New Auto-align and Auto-blend modes generate composites based on extended depth of field and 360 degree panoramas now with seamless tones and colors.

Finding, previewing and managing image assets jumps to a new level of power and convenience with Adobe Bridge CS4, beginning with fast start-up performance, right through to speedy transfer of images to Photoshop CS4. New path-bar navigation and workspace selection buttons across the top of the Bridge window let you instantly go to just the right display for every task. Also included are new Camera Import controls, visual folder navigation, and a Carousel View for larger image-group selections.

Photoshop CS4 takes advantage of the latest graphics processing unit (GPU) hardware to deliver superior performance. The software offers a smooth pan and zoom experience that allows users to easily edit images at the highest magnification while maintaining clarity. The new Canvas Rotation tool makes it simple to rotate and work on an image from any angle. Photoshop CS4 helps keep work areas clutter-free with a new unified application frame, tab-based interface and self-adjusting panels that make it easy to quickly access advanced tools, and provide a more fluid way to interact with the application.

Photoshop CS4 Extended includes all the new features of Photoshop CS4 plus the ability to manipulate 3D imagery easier than ever before. Now, creativity knows no bounds, as users can paint directly on 3D models and surfaces, merge 2-D files onto 3D images and animate 3D objects. The 3D engine has been rebuilt from the ground up to provide faster performance, allow editing of properties like light and the ability to create more realistic renderings with a new high-quality ray-tracer. Video professionals have the ability to turn any 3D object into a video display zone and can animate 3D objects and properties with ease. In addition, the core motion graphics editing has been improved with more efficient single-key shortcuts.

“The 3D painting enhancements in Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended save us valuable time by enabling artists to paint directly on our 3D flight simulator models in Photoshop instead of using a separate 3D paint program,” says Luis Barcena, executive vice president of databases and modeling for Aechelon Technology, Inc., a leader in real time computer graphics applications for training, simulation and entertainment markets. “Additionally, the ability to perform localized color correction in Photoshop CS4 Extended lets us easily color correct and balance simulated environments and terrain databases using images taken in different climates to achieve a more realistic and compelling user experience.”

Photoshop CS4 Extended software continues to challenge traditional use, allowing medical professionals to volume render multiple medical image scans (DICOM image stack) into a volume that can be viewed from all angles.

The Photoshop product family has experienced an unprecedented year, in which new products have been introduced and every existing product has been updated. The year began with the anticipated launch of Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac, winning Best of Show at Macworld 2008. The launch of Photoshop Express in the Spring marked a new direction for the line — a free, rich Internet application (RIA) for anyone who wants to store, sort and show off digital photos online with eye-catching effects. In July, major updates and enhancements were made to the popular Photoshop Lightroom™ 2 solution for serious photographers, followed by the launch of Photoshop Elements 7 and Adobe Premiere Elements 7 software for hobbyists and now, Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended for professionals.

Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended for Mac OS X on Intel® based and PowerPC® based systems and for Microsoft® Windows® XP and Windows Vista® platform are scheduled to ship October 2008 with availability through Adobe Authorized Resellers and the Adobe Store at www.adobe.com/go/gn_store . Estimated street price for Adobe Photoshop CS4 is US$699 and US$999 for Photoshop CS4 Extended. Upgrade pricing is available. For more detailed information about features, upgrade policies and pricing, please visit:www.adobe.com/photoshop .

Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information - anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com .

Original post by PSN Editorial Staff

Revenue and Earnings Performance Driven by Record Acrobat and LiveCycle Revenue

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Sept. 16, 2008 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today reported financial results for its third quarter ended Aug. 29, 2008.

In the third quarter of fiscal 2008, Adobe achieved revenue of $887.3 million, compared to $851.7 million reported for the third quarter of fiscal 2007 and $886.9 million reported in the second quarter of fiscal 2008. Adobe’s third quarter revenue target range was $855 to $885 million.

“Our strong performance in Q3 was driven by record revenue for our Acrobat and LiveCycle products, as well as the overall diversity of our business,” said Shantanu Narayen, president and chief executive officer. “We continue to execute exceptionally well against our strategy, and we look forward to the launch of our flagship Creative Suite 4 product family next week.”

Third Quarter GAAP Results
Adobe’s GAAP diluted earnings per share for the third quarter of fiscal 2008 were $0.35, based on 541.3 million weighted average shares. This compares with GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.34 reported in the third quarter of fiscal 2007 based on 597.3 million weighted average shares, and GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.40 reported in the second quarter of fiscal 2008 based on 542.4 million weighted average shares. Adobe’s third quarter GAAP earnings per share target range was $0.34 to $0.36.

GAAP operating income was $219.5 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2008, compared to $255.0 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2007 and $260.2 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2008. As a percent of revenue, GAAP operating income in the third quarter of fiscal 2008 was 24.7 percent, compared to 29.9 percent in the third quarter of fiscal 2007 and 29.3 percent in the second quarter of fiscal 2008.

GAAP net income was $191.6 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2008, compared to $205.2 million reported in the third quarter of fiscal 2007 and $214.9 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2008.

Third Quarter Non-GAAP Results
Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share for the third quarter of fiscal 2008 were $0.50. This compares with non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.45 reported in the third quarter of fiscal 2007 and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.50 reported in the second quarter of fiscal 2008. Adobe’s third quarter non-GAAP earnings per share target range was $0.45 to $0.47.Adobe’s non-GAAP operating income was $351.9 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2008, compared to $340.9 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2007 and $349.6 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2008. As a percent of revenue, non-GAAP operating income in the third quarter of fiscal 2008 was 39.7 percent, compared to 40.0 percent in the third quarter of fiscal 2007 and 39.4 percent in the second quarter of fiscal 2008.

Non-GAAP net income was $269.1 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2008, compared to $269.4 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2007, and $272.7 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2008.

A reconciliation between GAAP and non-GAAP results is provided at the end of this press release.

Adobe Provides Fourth Quarter Financial Targets
For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, Adobe announced it is targeting revenue of $925 million to $955 million. The Company also stated it is targeting an operating margin of approximately 30.5 percent on a GAAP basis, and an operating margin of approximately 39.5 percent on a non-GAAP basis.

In addition, Adobe is targeting its share count to be between 544 million and 548 million shares in the fourth quarter. The Company also is targeting GAAP and non-GAAP non-operating income to be between $6 million and $7 million. Adobe’s GAAP and non-GAAP tax rates are expected to be approximately 25 percent.

These targets lead to a fourth quarter diluted earnings per share target range of $0.39 to $0.41 on a GAAP basis, and an earnings per share target range of $0.51 to $0.53 on a non-GAAP basis.

A reconciliation between these GAAP and non-GAAP financial targets is provided at the end of this press release.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclosure
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including those related to revenue, operating margin, non-operating income, tax rate, share count, earnings per share, and business momentum which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: delays in development or shipment of Adobe’s new products or major new versions of existing products, introduction of new products and business models by existing and new competitors, failure to successfully manage transitions to new business models and markets, failure to anticipate and develop new products and services in response to changes in demand for application software and software delivery, computers, printers, or other non PC-devices, adverse changes in general economic or political conditions in any of the major countries in which Adobe does business, difficulty in predicting revenue from new businesses, costs related to intellectual property acquisitions, disputes and litigation, inability to protect Adobe’s intellectual property from third-party infringers, use, disclosure or malicious attack, failure to realize the anticipated benefits of past or future acquisitions and difficulty in integrating such acquisitions, failure to manage Adobe’s sales and distribution channels effectively, disruption of Adobe’s business due to catastrophic events, risks associated with international operations, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, changes in, or interpretations of, accounting principles, impairment of Adobe’s goodwill or intangible assets, unanticipated changes in, or interpretations of, tax rules and regulations, Adobe’s inability to attract and retain key personnel, impairment of Adobe’s investment portfolio due to further deterioration of the capital markets, market risks associated with Adobe’s equity investments, and interruptions or terminations in Adobe’s relationships with turnkey assemblers. For further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, individuals should refer to Adobe’s SEC filings.

The financial information set forth in this press release reflects estimates based on information available at this time. These amounts could differ from actual reported amounts stated in Adobe’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the third quarter ended Aug. 29, 2008, which the Company expects to file in October 2008. Adobe does not undertake an obligation to update forward-looking statements.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information — anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com .

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (PDF: 48k)
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (PDF: 44k)
Condensed Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flows (PDF: 40k)
Non-GAAP Results (PDF: 64k)

Original post by PSN Editorial Staff

Events planned for San Francisco, Milan and Tokyo

Press Release: SAN JOSE, Calif. — June 25, 2008 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced dates and locations for its MAX 2008/2009 event series. MAX is the premier industry forum for designers, developers and business decision makers focused on creating and delivering rich, engaging digital experiences across mediums and devices. The series begins Nov. 16 to 19 in San Francisco, followed by events in Milan from Dec. 1 to 4, 2008, and Tokyo from Jan. 29 to 30, 2009.

Adobe also launched its call for entries for the 2008 worldwide MAX Awards program, which recognizes the most innovative work from designers and developers around the world. Entries are being accepted through Sept. 5, 2008.

Under the theme, “Connect. Discover. Inspire.” the San Francisco event will feature keynotes from CEO Shantanu Narayen and CTO Kevin Lynch, as well as technology “sneak-peeks,” business discussions, technical sessions, hands-on workshops, exhibits and networking events. More than 200 sessions will engage designers, developers and business strategists on the topics of:

- Designer/developer workflow

- Cross-media design, including Web, video, mobile, print and interactive

- Rich Internet applications

- Services, components and tools

- Designing for multiple screens

“MAX inspires creatives and technologists to design, build, and share new ways for people to deliver engaging experiences over the Web and on any screen,” said Adobe chief technology officer Kevin Lynch. “Nowhere else can passionate members of the Adobe community learn from the best, be on the inside track of breaking industry news, connect with peers and industry experts while discovering cutting-edge technologies.”

MAX 2008 promises to deliver a glimpse into the future of digital experiences, enabling designers to dive into the art and science of designing across media, while developers broaden their expertise in architecting, building and deploying next-generation Web, mobile, enterprise and rich Internet applications.

2008 MAX Awards

2008 MAX Awards will honor the most engaging and innovative work from designers and developers using a broad spectrum of Adobe products and technologies. Categories include: Advertising and Branding, Enterprise, Mobility and Devices, Public Sector, Rich Internet Applications, Video, and People’s Choice. Adobe is accepting nominations now through Sept. 5, 2008. All entries must be submitted online atwww.adobemax2008.com/awards/submit . To see last year’s finalists, visit:www.adobe.com/events/max/max_awards/ . The 2008 MAX Award winners will be announced on Nov. 18 at an awards ceremony during the North America event.

Exhibits and Sponsorship

Companies interested in exhibiting or sponsoring MAX North America should contact Robb Trost at 1-650-226-0656, robb.trost@gpj.com . For MAX Europe, emailsponsorships-europe@max.adobe.com .

Registration

To register for MAX North America, visitwww.max.adobe.com/na/reginfo/ . Register before August 31, 2008 to qualify for the early bird discount.

Registration for MAX Europe will open in mid July. More details about MAX Japan will be announced later in the year.

Original post by PSN Editorial Staff

New Support for Adobe Flash Technology, Rich PDF Portfolios and Real-time Capabilities Redefine PDF Communications

Press Release: SAN JOSE, Calif. — June 2 , 2008 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today introduced Adobe® Acrobat® 9 software, a significant upgrade that will transform the process of creating and sharing electronic documents. Acrobat 9 delivers native support for Adobe Flash® technology, the ability to unify a wide range of content in rich PDF Portfolios, and access to real-time capabilities for co-navigating a PDF document with colleagues.

“The expectations organizations and individuals have for communicating and collaborating in the workplace continues to grow significantly,” said Rob Tarkoff, senior vice president, Business Productivity Business Unit. “The ability to break through and communicate a message in a compelling way has never been at a greater premium. Acrobat 9 is a response to this environment and is poised to fundamentally change how professionals communicate and collaborate using electronic documents.”

For the first time, Acrobat 9 provides deep support for Adobe Flash technology, enabling users to include Adobe Flash Player compatible video and application files in PDF documents. Recipients simply need free Adobe Reader® 9 software to consume the content. Now, static documents can come to life as dynamic communications.

Acrobat 9 also includes the ability to unify a wide range of content into a single document with the new concept of PDF Portfolios. PDF Portfolios enable business professionals to assemble multiple media types, such as documents, video, audio, and even 3D objects, into one, compressed PDF file. Users can then choose among several professional layouts—or create their own—to quickly integrate content, define navigation, and add polish and branding. As a result, communications such as sales proposals, legal documents, and product collateral can become far more customized and compelling.

In addition, Acrobat 9 provides access to capabilities for collaborating live within a PDF document—enabled by working with Acrobat.com, a new suite of hosted services Adobe introduced as public beta today. For example, a salesperson could use Acrobat 9 to send a lengthy contract to clients. The sales professional, or any of the recipients using Adobe Reader1, can then drive the group’s navigation through the PDF document in real-time working with Acrobat.com. This helps ensure everyone is literally, and figuratively, on the same page.

Additionally, Acrobat 9 users can access Acrobat.com for storing and sharing files, use it as a central location for collecting data as part of a forms process, and to gather comments in a shared document review. Acrobat.com includes other services, such as Adobe ConnectNow, personal Web conferencing that provides desktop sharing, video and voice conferencing, and integrated chat; and Adobe Buzzword®, an elegant, Web-based word processor that can be used to easily co-author and share documents for comment and review, creating high-quality print results.

The Acrobat 9 family consists of Acrobat 9 Standard, Acrobat 9 Pro, and the new Acrobat 9 Pro Extended software. The most comprehensive member of the family, Acrobat 9 Pro Extended, includes Adobe Presenter software for easily turning Microsoft® PowerPoint presentations into multimedia experiences that can be published as PDF files.

Pricing and Availability

Acrobat 9 Pro Extended, Acrobat 9 Pro and Acrobat 9 Standard for Microsoft Windows®, and Acrobat 9 Pro for Mac OS X, are expected to be available by July 2008 in English, French, German, and Japanese language versions. Acrobat 9 Pro Extended is expected to be available for US$699, and registered users of qualifying earlier versions of Acrobat2 can upgrade to Acrobat 9 Pro Extended for US$229. Acrobat 9 Pro is expected to be available for US$449, and registered users of qualifying earlier versions of Acrobat3 can upgrade to Acrobat 9 Pro for US$159. Acrobat 9 Standard is expected to be available for US$299, and registered users of qualifying earlier versions of Acrobat4 can upgrade to Acrobat 9 Standard for US$99.

More information on the Acrobat 9 family is available online at www.adobe.com/acrobat . Customers in North America can also call 1-800-833-6687.

The beta Acrobat.com hosted services are available immediately in English for free signup at www.acrobat.com .

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information - anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com .

Original post by PSN Editorial Staff

Overlook Center to Reflect Adobe’s Commitment to “Green” Building Practices

Press Release: WALTHAM, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE - News) today announced it has entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Normandy Real Estate Partners to acquire Overlook Center upon substantial completion at 21-61 Hickory Drive, Waltham, Massachusetts. According to the purchase agreement, Normandy will complete construction of an office building shell and core totaling approximately 108,500 square feet of space, a parking structure and site improvements. The transaction, valued at $44.7 million, is expected to close by May 2009, subject to the agreement’s closing conditions.

“The Boston area, with its rich ecosystem of technical talent and innovation, is important to Adobe’s business and this purchase reinforces our commitment to having a significant presence in the area,” said Rick Treitman, site leader for Adobe’s Boston operations. “Like many of our other sites around the world, the Overlook Center site will be a cutting-edge building that reflects our commitment to eco-friendly operation and community involvement while offering first-class amenities for our employees.”

Upon completion, the new Adobe property will feature contemporary design elements of glass and steel and include approximately 360 spaces of on-site covered parking, a café, fitness center, triangular conference facility, abundant natural light and a courtyard drop-off area. From Overlook Center’s elevated setting there will be dramatic 270-degree views to the north and south. The building is expected to be ready for occupancy by late 2009.

Normandy and Adobe are jointly pursuing LEED certification through the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) for both the exterior shell and the interior of the building.

“Normandy, our local partner Neelon Properties and the City of Waltham are thrilled to bring a leading technology company like Adobe to Overlook Center. We were looking to build this property for a company that was committed to an exceptional product for both its employees as well as the environment,” says Justin Krebs, a principal in Normandy Real Estate Partners who oversees the firm’s portfolio in the Greater Boston area. “Leveraging our vertically integrated platform that includes development and construction capabilities, we will be able to deliver to Adobe a market-leading, sustainably-designed building that is cutting-edge in terms of design, building technology and amenities, helping the company to retain and attract the highest quality local talent. Our vision for this property has become a reality.”

Adobe currently occupies leased office space in Newton, Mass, home to approximately 200 employees who are engaged in a cross-section of functions, including research and development, marketing, customer support and sales. Once fully complete, Overlook Center will house those employees and provide Adobe with room for continued growth in the Boston area.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information – anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.

Original post by PSN Editorial Staff

Technology and Content Innovators to Drive Consistent Rich Internet Experiences Across Multiple Screens

Press Release: SAN JOSE, Calif. — May 1, 2008 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the Open Screen Project, supported by a group of industry leaders, including ARM, Chunghwa Telecom, Cisco, Intel, LG Electronics Inc., Marvell, Motorola, Nokia, NTT DoCoMo, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics Co., Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Verizon Wireless. The project is dedicated to driving rich Internet experiences across televisions, personal computers, mobile devices, and consumer electronics. Also supporting the Open Screen Project are leading content providers, including BBC, MTV Networks, and NBC Universal, who want to reliably deliver rich Web and video experiences live and on-demand across a variety of devices.

The Open Screen Project is working to enable a consistent runtime environment — taking advantage of Adobe® Flash® Player and, in the future, Adobe AIR™ — that will remove barriers for developers and designers as they publish content and applications across desktops and devices, including phones, mobile Internet devices (MIDs), and set top boxes. The Open Screen Project will address potential technology fragmentation by enabling the runtime technology to be updated seamlessly over the air on mobile devices. The consistent runtime environment is intended to provide optimal performance across a variety of operating systems and devices, and ultimately provide the best experience to consumers.

To support this mission, and as part of Adobe’s ongoing commitment to enable Web innovation, Adobe will continue to open access to Adobe Flash technology, accelerating the deployment of content and rich Internet applications (RIAs). This work will include:

- Removing restrictions on use of the SWF and FLV/F4V specifications
- Publishing the device porting layer APIs for Adobe Flash Player
- Publishing the Adobe Flash® Cast™ protocol and the AMF protocol for robust data services
- Removing licensing fees - making next major releases of Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR for devices free

“Adobe is spearheading the Open Screen Project with support from industry leaders who share a common vision to provide rich, interactive experiences across computers, devices and consumer electronics,” said Shantanu Narayen, chief executive officer at Adobe. “A consistent, more open platform for developers will drive rapid innovation, vastly improving the user experience.”

Adobe Flash Player is the world’s most pervasive client runtime, delivering unparalleled creative options, highly engaging user experiences, stunning audio/video playback, and universal reach. Content for Adobe Flash Player reaches over 98 percent of Internet-enabled desktops and more than a half billion handsets and mobile devices today. Adobe expects more than one billion handsets and mobile devices to ship with Adobe Flash technology by 2009. Flash technology is used to deliver vector graphics, text, interactivity and application logic, video and sound over the Internet. More than 75 percent of broadcasters who stream video on the Web use Flash technology. Adobe AIR is the next-generation RIA runtime for the desktop, supporting HTML, Ajax, Adobe Flash technology and PDF.

The digital explosion across multiple screens is raising consumers’ expectations for engaging experiences wherever and however they connect with content. Web browsing on mobile devices is becoming commonplace, but delivering a consistent rich Internet experience remains a challenge. To ensure that user expectations are fulfilled, software applications and video must work seamlessly across multiple devices and content must be easily available across those devices.

Support for Rich Web Content and Applications Everywhere
Companies supporting the Open Screen Project share Adobe’s vision that a consistent and more open platform across devices will drive rapid innovation that will ultimately be good for consumers. The participants in the Open Screen Project are leading companies in the mobile, desktop and device ecosystems that will contribute in unique ways to this project.

“Delivering a highly responsive, uncompromised Web and rich media experience to consumer devices and the digital home is a key focus for ARM and our partners,” said Warren East, CEO, ARM. “The Open Screen Project with Adobe enables ARM and our partners to optimize and deploy Flash Player and Adobe AIR across billions of ARM Powered® devices and unlocks the ability for hardware optimizations on future ARM® processors.”

“The market is transitioning from the connected home office to the multimedia enabled home,” said Ned Hooper, senior vice president, Corporate Development, Consumer and Small Business Group at Cisco. “Through our Linksys by Cisco product leadership, we can transform life’s experiences by effortlessly connecting people to their digital world at home, at work and on the move. We share a common vision with Adobe and the Open Screen Project, and expect to work together to help enable the fusion of Web, television and user-generated content delivered anywhere, at any time and to any device.”

“Consumers always want more from their devices,” said Doug Fisher, Intel Vice President and General Manager, System Software Division. “Flash Player already reaches the vast majority of Internet-connected computers, and our deep technical collaboration with Adobe will optimize Flash technology and Adobe AIR across a broad range of devices, including a version of Adobe AIR for the Mobile and Internet Linux project, moblin.org. Intel’s broad and rich hardware and software ecosystem combined with Adobe’s Open Screen Project will help us deliver a full Internet experience, whether it be in your pocket, on your lap, at the office or in your living room.”

“Users clearly want full functionality, the same look and feel, and a similar instantaneous user experience as they have on their PCs,” said Dr. Sehat Sutardja, president and chief executive officer at Marvell. “We are very excited Adobe is making this happen through the Open Screen Project by unifying the software requirements across all platforms. Marvell is contributing to the success of this effort by providing PC class computing horsepower through our advanced application processor technology that is used in many of our mobile and consumer devices.”

“As a long-standing champion of open standards, Motorola supports Adobe’s Open Screen Project and its goal of enabling a more open development experience for the ecosystem,” said Christy Wyatt, vice president, software platforms and ecosystem, Motorola. “We expect the Open Screen Project to further accelerate the use of Flash technology and innovation in mobile applications, interfaces, and platforms, allowing mobile users to experience the richness of the Web on a variety of new devices.”

“Our approach is to empower fans, Web developers and publishers to access, share and interact with our content freely across platforms,” said Mika Salmi, President, Global Digital Media, MTV Networks. “We’re embracing the Open Screen Project so that our fans can continue not only to enjoy our brands, but also build and contribute to them on every device and screen without limitation.”

“NBC Universal delivers a majority of our content in the FLV format across more than 20 streaming video players on our numerous digital properties. We’re excited about supporting this project, which will reduce barriers to Flash technology adoption on non-PC devices and help ensure NBC Universal content can be seen anywhere,” said Darren Feher, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at NBC Universal. “Clearly, devices continue to increase in importance as a means to access rich content and applications, and we are delighted to work with Adobe to deliver great experiences through these additional distribution channels.”

“As a long time strategic partner of Adobe, we are pleased to help launch the Open Screen Project and applaud Adobe’s move toward removing barriers to adoption of Flash technology in the mobile ecosystem. Nokia will continue to deploy Flash runtime technologies on our devices,” said Lee Williams, Senior Vice President, Nokia Devices Software. “Nokia has a long history of pioneering the deployment of Flash technology in the mobile market and we look forward to exploring future opportunities with Adobe AIR for devices. Today’s announcement will help spur a new generation of rich Internet experiences on mobile devices.”

“NTT DoCoMo has long been challenging the evolution of mobile services and Adobe Flash technology has been a crucial part of our success and the work of thousands of mobile developers in Japan,” said Kiyoyuki Tsujimura, Executive Vice President, Managing Director of Products & Services Division of NTT DoCoMo. “As a longtime strategic partner and innovative operator delivering Flash to millions of mobile customers, we applaud Adobe’s move as the next essential step to enable even richer and more expressive mobile experiences. We look forward to working with Adobe and the members of the Open Screen Project to deliver a consistent application runtime environment to devices everywhere.”

“Qualcomm welcomes Adobe’s Open Screen Project,” said Steve Mollenkopf, senior vice president of product management for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. “It aligns well with our BREW mobile platform and highly-integrated chipset solutions, allowing an expanded ecosystem of developers to bring applications and services to users of a wide range of 3G mobile devices.”

“A broad range of our handsets are Flash-enabled based on our belief that an engaging and integrated mobile application and Web experience is essential to our users. Adobe’s Open Screen Project will help to further expand the use of Flash technology across the full family of Sony Ericsson mobile devices to energize communication,” said Rikko Sakaguchi, Head of Portfolio and Propositions, at Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications. “Flash technology and Adobe AIR are natural fits to Sony Ericsson’s strategy of building on the best of the Open Web Standards and will help provide new mobile experiences to millions of users around the world.”

“The Open Screen Project will make it simple for Verizon and our partners to deliver rich mobile experiences to more devices,” said Mike Lanman, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Verizon Wireless. “As a complement to our Open Developer Initiative, Adobe’s move and our ability to contribute to this initiative will further enable developers and content providers to deliver the next generation of applications using Flash technology and Adobe AIR across mobile platforms and devices worldwide.”

For more information about the Open Screen Project, visit the website at www.adobe.com/go/openscreenproject .

About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information - anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com .

Original post by PSN Editorial Staff

Mark Hamburg, founder of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and former architect of Photoshop is leaving Adobe for a post at Microsoft. Mark, who was the second engineer hired to work on Photoshop after Thomas Knoll, has been at Adobe for over 17 years. He joined Adobe in the fall of 1990–the year Photoshop 1.0 shipped.

He left the Photoshop team after Photoshop 7 shipped and spent time in Adobe’s Advanced Technology Group (ATG) where he worked on a “sandbox project” originally called PixelToy which was later renamed Shadowland. Adobe changed that name to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom when it was released as a public beta in January, 2006. See the PSN story The Shadowland/Lightroom Development Story for more info.

Since Mark has been a good friend and co-conspirator over the years, I decided to use some miles and fly out for his going away part at Adobe last week. Mark’s last day at Adobe was Wednesday, April 23, 2008.

Mark’s office was littered with boxes–it’s unclear if those were his boxes or left over from the recent move to 10 West. The Lightroom team was recently moved onto the same floor as the Photoshop team. Right: Mark explains that he needed to work on one more Lightroom 2.0 bug before going to the video conference with the Minnesota team, his last such conference.

Here we are in one of Adobe’s video conference rooms on the 8th floor. One the screen is the Adobe Minnesota office’s Frostbite Falls conference room. See this story about the Minnesota office on PSN titled A Visit to the Adobe Lightroom Engineers for an explanation of conference room naming.

The two teams, one in San Jose and the one in Minnesota reminisced about working with Mark. Some of the stories were funny, some poignant and some were melancholy–but all were good natured.

In an ironic twist, Minnesota actually had some pretty good wine while San Jose only had beer to toast with. I say ironic because most of the time the drink of choice would be reversed (since Mark and George are a bit wine snobbish).

I lucked out and got a Pilsner Urquell…

Mark and Kevin Conner (right) joke about “life with Mark”. Kevin stated his most memorable aspect of Mark’s career was his pure refusal to accept anything but the best. Mark joked that it was “never to late to change a feature”.

My main comment represented the general consensus of the alpha testers who have worked with Mark over the years; “Be careful what you wish for because you just may get it”–and Mark will make it completely different than you thought it would be.

The last goodbye from Minnesota wishing Mark well.

Mark’s last walk down the Adobe halls (on his way to his Adobe HR exit interview).

We walked out of 345 Park Avenue on the way to the Paragon restaurant where Mark’s going away party was to be held.

VP of Engineering for the Digital Imaging Group, Winston Hendrickson (left) and Kevin Connor, Senior Director of Product Management for the same group (right) hosted the party (and paid for the first two rounds–well, I think they paid for every round actually–there were a lot of rounds).

Here’s Kevin saying a few “words” about Mark’s tenure at Adobe…

…and Mark listening carefully.

Kevin presented Mark with a going away present. A 3D print made by Russell Brown.

On close inspection you can see it says “Mr. Microsoft”. But the 3D part actually shows more…

Here’s the 3D arrangement of image planes (below) showing the Mark is actually holding a sign saying Mr. Lightroom that turns into a sign saying Mr. Microsoft. With fire below of course.

Another parting gift was a guitar (I believe from a Photoshop World keynote or party) signed by the “Photoshop World Dream Team” instructors including Scott Kelby, Dave Cross ad others.

If you don’t know, Mark is a bit of a guitar buff (spending a lot more money on guitars than camera equipment).

Winston said a few words, claiming he will always go down as the guy who was Mark’s boss when Mark left Adobe.

Bryan Lamkin, former Senior VP of Adobe’s Creative Solutions Business Unit showed up to say a few words as well. Bryan had retired from Adobe in March of 2006 (see the PSN story)

Sean Parent (center in red: researcher at Adobe Systems and manager of the Adobe Software Technology Lab) recounted the time he had spent working with Mark on Photoshop, including the time he wrote a script on Mark’s computer to turn every iteration of the word Photoshop to be spelled PhotoShop (the intercap was a pet peeve of Hamburg’s).

Russell Brown also talked about the importance of Mark’s contributions to Photoshop.

Mark didn’t seem to mind all the attention.

But Mark’s son Gavin didn’t like so much attention–people with cameras…

Gavin decided to hide.

Gavin was pretty much done (he was hungry). Here is Ann, Mark’s wife getting ready to go to McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant for a last supper.

Kevin was melancholic. Obviously Adobe would have preferred not losing Mark, but Mark had already “made his mark” at Adobe and was looking for a new challenge. Mark on the other hand characterized his departure as the scariest thing he had ever done (and mentioned something about RAIN).

At the restaurant, Winston points out that Mark was missing. Seems the long goodbyes took a long time. Finally Mark showed up.

Zalman Stern (from the Camera Raw team) pours some wine for Ann. I think George picked the wine (he usually does, otherwise he tends to complain about the wine).

Mark was eating oysters (left) while Gavin got his fav grilled cheese.

In a more serious moment, Winston wishes Mark well.

Mark’s now defunct Adobe ID–pretty well worn out.

The next morning, Mark and Ann were due to fly up to Seattle to start house hunting. The prospects were daunting–Mark noted that Seattle had just had snow the previous weekend (April 19/20) and that housing costs in Seattle weren’t a lot cheaper than San Jose. And there’s this thing called “RAIN” up there…

As for Mark leaving Adobe, I wasn’t surprised. Mark had talked about leaving the Lightroom team after 2.0 shipped for the last few months. Mark felt he had pretty much done what he wanted to at Adobe: 11+ years on Photoshop and almost 6 years on Lightroom. And while Mark is a brilliant coder and conceptually creative in the digital imaging/processing realm, he felt a strong pull to do something completely different. For somebody like Mark, there’s really very few options; a startup or going someplace where there are few if any limits. He was heavily recruited by Microsoft and given an unbeatable opportunity to work outside his normal digital imaging field. Mark was invited by David Vaskevitch to come lead a team working on the future of OS User Experience at Microsoft.

This is the way Mark phrased it:
Now, given that I find the current Windows experience really annoying and yet I keep having to deal with it, this opportunity was a little too interesting to turn down. I can’t imagine doing serious imaging anywhere other than Adobe, but, I needed to do something other than imaging for a while.

Mark is leaving the Lightroom team at a time where 2.0 is pretty much done except for the bugs (which Mark was literally working on his last day) and the future of Lightroom is really no longer in doubt. The team that Mark has helped assemble for Lightroom’s development and engineering will now actually be able to step out from underneath Mark’s rather large shadow and take Lightroom where it needs to go.

The raw processing pipeline that Lightroom uses is in the capable hands of Thomas Knoll, Zalman Stern and new hire Eric Chan (and a few others). So there will be no let down there. And Mark has long been gone (but not forgotten) when it comes to Photoshop (although the Photoshop team aways seems to get Mark to try to “explain his code” when come across something he wrote).

The one thing I noted was the gracious manner in which Mark left and the way everybody at Adobe honestly wished him well. Yes, there was a sense of melancholy and a degree of sadness at Mark’s leaving. But no bridges have been burned and Mark will always have a home at Adobe (hey, Adobe even has a Seattle office if the Microsoft thingie doesn’t work out).

Good luck Mark and best wishes. To Microsoft I’ll only say “be careful what you wish for, you just may get it”…

:~)

Original post by Jeff Schewe

New, Open Format Intended to Bring Predictability and Consistency to Digital Cinema Workflows

Press Release: SAN JOSE, Calif. and LAS VEGAS NV — April 14 , 2008 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced that it plans to lead an initiative to define an industry-wide open file format for digital cinema files to streamline workflows and help ensure easy archiving and exchange. Adobe intends to leverage its successful Digital Negative Specification (DNG) file format as a foundation, and Adobe plans to work with a broad coalition of leading camera manufacturers, including Panavision, Silicon Imaging, Dalsa, Weisscam, and ARRI—along with software vendors, including Iridas and The Foundry, and codec provider CineForm—to define the requirements for an open, publicly documented file format that it plans to call CinemaDNG.

Adobe is currently working to develop the requirements of the CinemaDNG workflow and intends to subsequently publish a specification for the file format based on collaboration with companies throughout the industry.

“With the CinemaDNG initiative, Adobe is extending its leadership in developing open, interchangeable formats for digital still cameras into the realm of digital cinematography,” said Jim Guerard, vice president of Dynamic Media at Adobe. “By taking a proactive role and working collaboratively with leading digital cinema manufacturers, Adobe is helping to define an industry-standard approach that benefits the entire filmmaking ecosystem. Filmmakers will be able to adopt digital cinema cameras with confidence, and camera manufacturers will be able to provide specialized functionality while ensuring instant file format compatibility with existing workflows.”

Many filmmakers are foregoing film in favor of digital cinema cameras and workflows that offer improved creative flexibility, lower costs, and significantly faster turnaround times. However, those new workflows involve complex hardware and software, with projects passing through multiple vendors along the production pipeline. The proliferation of disparate, vendor-specific raw file formats has the potential to erode some of the advantages of digital cinema. By proactively leading the development of an open, public, and enduring standard that can be adopted throughout the production pipeline, Adobe and other companies through the CinemaDNG initiative are helping to solve an important, emerging workflow issue.

Advantages for Filmmakers
As a publicly documented and open file format, CinemaDNG would offer several advantages for filmmakers. They could avoid roadblocks caused by incompatibilities in workflows that involve multiple devices, vendors, and file formats. They could adopt digital cinema cameras while minimizing the risk that proprietary or camera-specific file formats would be unsupported in the future, because CinemaDNG would provide an open, durable, standard format that would be available for many years to come. Filmmakers could also rest assured that they have access to a robust archival standard for the new generation of raw-capable digital cinema cameras. CinemaDNG would also provide the foundation for an editing workflow that would allow filmmakers to use the highest quality source material.

Advantages for Manufacturers
For camera manufacturers and software developers, CinemaDNG is intended to help remove a key obstacle to the adoption of new products by providing reliable, instant compatibility with existing workflows. Manufacturers may be able to reduce development costs by eliminating the necessity to develop proprietary formats and conversion utilities. CinemaDNG is also planning to deliver support for proprietary metadata, helping manufacturers to differentiate their product offerings from competitors’.

“Experiencing a smoother, more streamlined workflow is, without exception, a good thing and open standards are a great way of accomplishing it,” said Bruno Nicoletti, chief technology officer at The Foundry, a leading visual effects software developer in London. “The Foundry supports Adobe’s plan for CinemaDNG, which will make the adoption of raw digital camera data much easier for everyone in our industry.”

“We are working hard on establishing a realistic and workable method of getting raw data from the camera to post,” said Marc Shipman-Mueller, product manager for Cameras & Lenses at ARRI, a top digital cinema camera manufacturer in Munich. “An industry wide standard for raw data can only help in this future oriented process that will provide multiple benefits for the users of raw data.”

About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information - anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com .

Original post by PSN Editorial Staff

Unique Creative Suite 3 Video Content Available Via Adobe Media Player and New Web Destination

Press Release: SAN JOSE, Calif. — April 9, 2007 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe® TV, a free online video resource for expert instruction and inspiration about Adobe products, including the company’s Creative Suite 3 family of world-class creative tools. With multiple channels, original series programming, and content from Adobe, leading training organizations and the world’s leading subject matter experts, Adobe TV delivers a virtual library of entertaining and instructional videos. Designers, photographers, video professionals, and developers will find product deep-dives, innovative tips, techniques from luminaries, and behind-the-scenes tours of the hottest creative shops and Adobe product teams.

Designed to educate, inspire, and entertain the creative community, Adobe TV is immediately available online from the Adobe Web site at http://tv.adobe.com , or as a network with multiple shows in the new Adobe® Media Player 1.0 software, also announced today (see separate press release). Adobe Media Player offers a broad range of television programming and entertaining video content from major television broadcasters and leading content publishers, including CBS, MTV Networks, Universal Music Group, PBS, CondéNet, and Scripps Networks.

“Adobe TV is the online video source for anyone with wants to see how Adobe tools are being used to create stunning work,” said Bob Donlon, executive producer for Adobe TV. “It brings together experts from Adobe and the creative community to inspire and teach how to get the most from the software that is empowering the delivery of high-impact print, online, video and mobile communications. It’s also the perfect showcase for Adobe’s broadcast video technologies in action.”

When viewed through Adobe Media Player, Adobe TV allows customers to watch programs at their convenience, save content for offline viewing, and subscribe to favorite channels to get the latest episodes as soon as they are released. Adobe Media Player can be downloaded at: http://www.adobe.com/go/mp .

Videos on http://tv.adobe.com can also be sorted by Most Recent, Most Popular and Top Rated to see what others in the community are watching. Additionally, viewers can easily share their favorite programs with others by posting them to their blogs or Web sites, or e-mailing links to friends. Adobe TV videos come with lightweight links that make it easy to spread the word about interesting content.

Rich Library of Video Content
Adobe TV features four channels, each targeting a specific audience: Photographers, Designers, Video Professionals, and Developers. Each channel features programming from Adobe evangelists, leading trainers, subject matter experts, and luminaries who pull in the crowds at industry events around the world. More than 200 videos are currently available on Adobe TV, with programming that mixes how-to information, case studies, personality-driven shows, and workflow deep-dives. The first set of videos offers secrets about Photoshop® software, podcasts and design tips for Creative Suite, techniques for Photoshop Lightroom®, tips on Adobe Flash® Professional software for beginners, approaches to taming the Web, and information about video and audio production.

“The creative community instinctively turns to the Web as a primary resource for tutorials and information on how to use Adobe products, but before now this content was scattered and difficult to find,” said Joseph Princz, CEO of the interactive agency, Wrecking Ball Media Group. “Adobe TV makes it easier than ever to search for and subscribe to Adobe video content that not only inspires new creative ideas, but also helps us to refine our skill sets and dive further into the essential tools our business depends on every day.”

Creating and Delivering a Complete Online Video Experience
Adobe TV demonstrates the power of Adobe’s leading video technologies from creation to playback. Using components of Adobe Creative Suite® 3, Adobe TV programming is scripted and storyboarded, and the graphics and imagery are developed. During production, Adobe OnLocation™ software monitors quality and records directly to disk. Visual effects are produced in Adobe After Effects® software, the audio is cleaned up or created in Adobe Audition® software and Adobe Soundbooth™ software, and then the programming is edited and output from Adobe Premiere® Pro. Adobe’s Emmy-award-wining Flash® technology, the most widely used platform for delivering interactive experiences online today, and Adobe Flash Media Server then package and deliver Adobe TV video on http://tv.adobe.com and through Adobe Media Player.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information - anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com .

Original post by PSN Editorial Staff