MACROMEDIA JOINS ECLIPSE FOUNDATION
New tool for developing rich Internet applications on the Macromedia Flash Platform to be based on industry-leading Eclipse IDE
San Francisco, CA - June 6, 2005 - Macromedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: MACR) today announced plans to join the Eclipse Foundation, a not-for-profit industry organization committed to developing and promoting the open-source Eclipse universal development platform. Macromedia plans to deliver a next-generation rich Internet application (RIA) development tool based on Eclipse. RIAs combine the rich user interface of desktop software with the web's reach and ease of use. Code-named Zorn, the new product will enable development teams to easily build and deploy applications that deliver more effective, memorable, and usable experiences by leveraging the powerful capabilities of the Macromedia Flash Platform (announced today, see separate release). The Flash Platform provides the solutions that make great digital experiences possible.
Zorn will provide professional developers with a robust tool set for developing RIAs using the Macromedia Flex framework. The Flex server combines the standards-based Flex development framework with a powerful set of runtime services to deliver enterprise-class rich Internet applications. Currently there are more than 300 enterprise customers for Flex, including Dorado Corporation, HBOS plc, NEC, and SAP.
"We are excited that Macromedia is building a tool based on Eclipse for developing rich Internet applications using the Flex framework," said Kevin Chesney, vice president of architecture, Dorado Corporation. "The Flex applications we are designing for top-tier lending institutions will handle extremely secure financial transactions for our 175,000 users. By leveraging the powerful capabilities of the Macromedia Flash Platform, we are able to reliably offer our customers a great user experience while minimizing maintenance costs."
"Macromedia is proud to be joining the industry-wide ecosystem growing around Eclipse. This announcement marks another significant milestone in the evolution of the Flash Platform as the most ubiquitous platform for rich content, applications, and communications," said David Mendels, executive vice president and general manager, Macromedia. "The success of our platform has been based on providing great tools and building a large developer community. With tools like Flash MX 2004 for rich interactive content, and now Zorn for applications that use the Flex framework, an even broader range of users will be able to harness the Flash Platform to create effective rich Internet applications."
Initially Macromedia is joining the Eclipse Foundation as an Add-In Provider. Other industry members of the Eclipse Foundation include Actuate, BEA, IBM, Mercury, Novell, and SAP.
"Our goal at the Eclipse Foundation has been to foster an open-source community that serves the needs of commercial vendors and brings Eclipse technology to a wide range of users," said Mike Milinkovich, director, Eclipse Foundation. "With its ability to reach a wide range of developers and its considerable expertise in tools development, Macromedia will certainly help further the goals of the Eclipse community."
ABOUT MACROMEDIA
Experience matters. Macromedia is motivated by the belief that great experiences build great businesses. Our software empowers millions of business users, developers, and designers to create and deliver effective, compelling, and memorable experiences — on the Internet, on fixed media, on wireless, and on digital devices.
