Adobe Gets Its Own

With all the big players trying to tie up all loose ends by getting a set of web applications, the players are getting fewer by conglomeration. Adobe, makers of the most ubiquitous file formats in existence, PDF, has decided to make a move in web space with the purchase of Virtual Ubiquity, the makers of an online word processor called Buzzword.

Actually, the buyout might be termed as a family affair, as Buzzword was built using the Adobe Flex Integrated Development Environment, and runs in the Flash player.

Buzzword was built from the ground up with collaboration in mind.

Rick Treitman, CEO of Virtual Ubiquity, described Buzzword as “an online word processor for the ‘Facebook generation’ that focuses on working together online, without sacrificing quality.”

Buzzword will be extended to include PDF output, and then become part of Adobe Connect. Support for other file formats, including ODF, the format used by Open Office, Star Office, and IBM Symphony, is planned also.

Adobe had already invested in VU, and the terms of the buyout are not being made public. All of the VU staff will be retained at Adobe.

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[tags] internet software applications, Google, Sun Star Office, IBM Symphony, Open Office, Adobe, PDF format, Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash [/tags]