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.

New Foundation’s First Initiative Engages Youth to Drive Social Change

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Oct. 1, 2008 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the Adobe Foundation, a global philanthropic organization focused on driving positive social change and community improvement. Formation of the foundation builds on Adobe’s long history of philanthropy – including grantmaking, software donations and training, employee volunteer programs and education initiatives – focused on making the communities where Adobe operates strong and more vibrant places to live, work and do business.

Adobe has historically allocated one percent of its annual net income to philanthropic giving, managed through a donor-advised fund at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF). Going forward, these funds will be managed by the Adobe Foundation, creating a closer connection between Adobe and its philanthropic interests. The Adobe Foundation will initially manage Adobe’s flagship community program, Adobe Youth Voices, and administer new programs in the future.

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.

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.”

Major Software Upgrade Further Simplifies Photography Workflows

Press Release: SAN JOSE, Calif. — July 29, 2008 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the immediate availability of Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 2 software, the photographer’s essential toolbox for managing, adjusting and presenting large volumes of digital photographs. With new enhancements such as dual-monitor support, radical advances in non-destructive localized image correction, and streamlined search capabilities, Lightroom 2 is a compelling upgrade that simplifies photography from shoot to finish. As Adobe’s first application to support 64-bit for Mac OS X 10.5 Macintosh computers with Intel® processors and Microsoft® Windows® Vista® 64bit operating systems, Lightroom 2 also provides improved memory performance for dealing with large scale images.

Press Release–DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–www.splashmedia.com, an innovator in digital video publishing and Internet television captured the prestigious Lone Star Emmy for Excellence in Informational and Instructional Programming for its production of Dr. Brown’s Photoshop Laboratory at the recent Advanced Media Awards.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 party at Adobe last week. Mark’s last day at Adobe was Wednesday, April 23, 2008.

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.

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.

New Adobe AIR Application Redefines Next-Generation TV Experiences for Viewers and Broadcasters

Press Release:SAN JOSE, Calif. — April 9, 2008 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the immediate availability of Adobe® Media Player 1.0 software. An Adobe AIR™ application, this customizable, cross-platform media player provides exciting new ways for viewers to discover and interact with their favorite content, while offering revenue and brand-building opportunities for content publishers. Major television broadcasters and leading content publishers, including CBS, MTV Networks, Universal Music Group, PBS, CondéNet, and Scripps Networks have worked with Adobe to provide a broad range of television programming and entertaining video content to viewers.

Additionally, Adobe announced Adobe TV, a network in Adobe Media Player with a series of shows that provides expert instruction and original series programming about Adobe products to the worldwide creative community (see separate press release). Adobe Media Player is available for immediate download at http://www.adobe.com/go/mp .

Press Release: SAN JOSE, Calif. — April 7, 2008 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the alignment of the company’s mobile and platform operations as it moves toward an integrated technology platform and runtime environment for personal computers (PCs), mobile handsets and consumer devices. In support of this strategy, the Mobile and Devices Business Unit (MDBU) is joining Adobe’s Experience and Technology group, led by Chief Technology Officer Kevin Lynch.

Source: CNET
Written by Martin LaMonica

Adobe Systems on Monday is set to finally release Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) software, which is on the leading edge of a movement to make Web applications act more like traditional desktop applications.

Adobe has launched software designed to make it easier for computer users to use online applications offline.

Source: BBC News

Adobe Air allows developers to build tools that still have some functionality even when a computer is no longer connected to the net.

Promotion Marks Increasing Significance of Rich Internet Applications Across Adobe’s Business

Press Release: SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq: ADBE – News) today announced the promotion of Kevin Lynch to chief technology officer (CTO). In this new position, Lynch will oversee Adobe’s experience design and core technology across business units. As part of this role Lynch will continue to drive Adobe’s technology platform for designers and developers, which includes Adobe® Flash® Player, Adobe Flex®, and Adobe AIR™, the new cross-operating system application runtime that bridges the computing power and data capabilities of the desktop with the real-time dynamic capabilities of the Web.

Adobe Ranked No. 40

Press Release: SAN JOSE, Calif. — Jan. 22, 2008 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today was ranked No. 40 on FORTUNE magazine’s eleventh annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list. Adobe was among the top companies included from the high-tech sector. In FORTUNE’s subcategory of medium companies (those with 2,500 to 10,000 U.S. employees), Adobe ranked No. 12. This marks the ninth time Adobe has been included on list. The full list and related stories are currently available at www.fortune.com and will be featured in FORTUNE’s Feb. 4, 2008, print issue, available on newsstands Jan. 28, 2008.

A new development making raw image processing available at retail for the first time!

Press Release: Noritsu Koki announces an agreement that establishes technical cooperation between Noritsu Koki and Adobe Systems. This agreement enables photo retailers with Noritsu input terminals (CT terminals) and Noritsu minilab systems to accept and process raw image data, which is widely used in digital SLR camera photography. This is the first time that raw image data will be supported at the retail level, opening the door for retailers who want to easily provide high quality photographic prints from raw image files.

Stephen Partridge, the business development Manager for Acrobat has announced on his Adobe Blog that the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO) voted to approve Adobe’s PDF as an international document format standard. The ISO standard number is ISO32000.

This means that as an ISO standard, Adobe will no longer have sole control over what is already the de facto standard for creating, editing, sharing and commenting on documents between multiple platforms. ‘Adobe will be just one of many implementers of that standard. Adobe expects to participate on the ISO committees determining changes that should be included in a revised standard,’ said James King, a senior principle scientist and PDF architect at Adobe.

In case you missed it, Scott Kelby posted a story about 2007 titled A Look Back at 2007 in Photoshop, Photography, Adobe, and More.

Of course the major item in 2007 for Adobe was the launch of Creative Suite 3 which incorporated new versions of Adobe products as well as former Macromedia products into a slew of Creative Suites bundles including the big ticket item the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Master Collection which includes just about everything Adobe sells in one huge collection. Part of the big news that some failed to note was the return of a former Mac product, Premier Pro.

Also mentioned was the launch of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and the fact that in a short time, Lightroom took the lead in its product category.

Also noted in Scott’s post was the passing of the torch from former Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen to Shantanu Narayen.

Another point touched on was what I think is a big milestone, NAPP membership passed the 70,000 member mark. Way to go NAPP!

Check out the rest of Scott’s highlights on his post. And visit his site Photoshop Insider.

Adobe cofounders Dr. John E. Warnock (left) and Dr. Charles M. Geschke (right).

To celebrate their 25th “Silver” anniversary, Adobe has launched a mini-web site that looks back over the last 25 years. The site includes an Interactive timeline and a 25th Anniversary Newsletter.

See About Adobe/History

Strong Adoption of Creative Suite, Acrobat and Enterprise Solutions Drives 23 Percent Annual Revenue Growth

Press Release: SAN JOSE, Calif. — Dec. 17, 2007 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today reported financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Nov. 30, 2007.

In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007, Adobe achieved record revenue of $911.2 million, compared to $682.2 million reported for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006 and $851.7 million reported in the third quarter of fiscal 2007. This represents 34 percent year-over-year revenue growth. Adobe’s fourth quarter revenue target range was $860 to $890 million.

Adobe is celebrating its 25th year in existence. Started in December of 1982 by John Warnock and Charles Geschke, Adobe has grown to become a $2.5 billion-a-year-company. Not bad for a couple of refugees from the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center–the same place Steve Jobs went to visit to “discover” the GUI and the computer mouse.

From the book Inside the Publishing Revolution: “We were prototypical scientists in that we wanted to have an impact. We weren’t in it for financial gain” –Chuck Geschke
In 1985 it was Apple that licensed PostScript and helped Adobe form the backbone of the desktop publishing revolution. In the middle 1980s Adobe broadened their horizon by entering into the professional design software market by releasing Adobe Illustrator. Announced in 1989 and shipping in February 1990, Adobe took a leadership position in digital imaging with the release of Adobe Photoshop.

Also from Inside the Publishing Revolution: “When we all saw that first sheet of paper come out of the LaserWriter, we knew we were going to hit it out of the park.” –Steve Jobs
In 1993 Adobe created the PDF file format and offered Acrobat Reader in June of 1993 for the Mac and later for DOS and Windows.

Extending its leadership role, Adobe acquired Aldus in 1994 primarily to get PageMaker and eventually After Effects was released. About a decade later Adobe acquired Macromedia and all of that company’s technologies which, with the release of Creative Suite 3, further broaden Adobe’s software and technology portfolio.

Also from Inside the Publishing Revolution: “If anyone had told me 20 years ago that we would have a fundamental impact on the publishing industry, I wouldn’t have believed them.” –John Warnock

To get a better inside look at the first 20 years of Adobe, check out Inside the Publishing Revolution: The Adobe Story written by Pamela Pfiffner. Available on Amazon.