Thread

Adobe Systems to acquire Macromedia WOW

· Troubleshooting · 50 posts · Apr 18, 2005 View original thread ↗

#1 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 03:32

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq: ADBE) has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Macromedia (Nasdaq: MACR) in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $3.4 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, which has been approved by both boards of directors, Macromedia stockholders will receive, at a fixed exchange ratio, 0.69 shares of Adobe common stock for every share of Macromedia common stock in a tax-free exchange. Based on Adobes and Macromedias closing prices on Friday April 15, 2005, this represents a price of $41.86 per share of Macromedia common stock.

The combination of Adobe and Macromedia strengthens our mission of helping people and organizations communicate better. Through the combination of our powerful development, authoring and collaboration tools and the complementary functionality of PDF and Flash we have the opportunity to drive an industry-defining technology platform that delivers compelling, rich content and applications across a wide range of devices and operating systems.

By combining the passion and creativity of two leading-edge companies, we will continue driving innovations that are changing the ways people everywhere are experiencing and interacting with information.

more info here:

http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/inv...macromedia.html

#2 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 03:47

bloody hell

wonder what this will mean for Freehand.

I've already seen some of the stuff the next Flash will do, with Adobe on board (PDF tech etc), who knows where it will go to

This also means that a large portion of creative apps are made by one company

#3 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 03:54

#4 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 03:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by moodymonster

... This also means that a large portion of creative apps are made by one company

Which will (most likely) also mean ...

even less competition ...
even more useless bloatware ...
even less innovation ...
even higher prices ...

... son of a bitch

#5 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 04:04

Microsoftization.

#6 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 04:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by effgee

Which will (most likely) also mean ...

even less competition ...
even more useless bloatware ...
even less innovation ...
even higher prices ...

... son of a bitch

Yes, this is most displeasing news fot the user/consumer. The competition between Adobe and Macromedia was not stellar - perhaps they only really clashed where Illustrator met Freehand and where Dreamweaver met GoLive.

Macromedia was Adobe's only rival and competitor and innovation will certainly suffer. Macromedia owns a lot of technology and patents that will be a valuable asset to Adobe for sure and will help stiffle any sprouting competition.

Unless anyone is expecting Quark to provide competition to Adobe

#7 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 04:10

Speechless. Apple really should have bought one of them when it had the chance.

#8 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 04:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Mac

Speechless. Apple really should have bought one of them when it had the chance.

I'm sure Steve Jobs is plotting something right now. Right now and for the forseeable future Apple is a far faster growing company than Adobe/Macromedia

Seriously though: Is there no monopoly control for such mergers? Macromedia/Adobe covers just about 100% of design and web-publishing. No companies should be allowed to merge to form a monopoly entity. ( <-- my personal opinion)

#9 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 04:16

Oh dear. Goodbye Dreamweaver, hello crappy GoLive.

#10 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 04:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goldfinger

Oh dear. Goodbye Dreamweaver, hello crappy GoLive.

Or perhaps Golive will be discontinued in favor of DW.

#11 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 04:20

We can only hope.

#12 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 04:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by effgee

Which will (most likely) also mean ...

even less competition ...
even more useless bloatware ...
even less innovation ...
even higher prices ...

... son of a bitch

I share the same feelings.

Let's look at this from a different angle: Did you realize that means Adobe will own 'control' over flash, shockwave, and all that?

#13 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 04:28

I have to ask: Is there anyone who is really pleased this merger is going through?

(and isn't a stockholder in either company)

#14 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 04:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randman

Microsoftization.

You said it dude. thats what crossed my mind. So basically Desktop Publishing has one major player now.... insane

#15 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 04:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a

You said it dude. thats what crossed my mind. So basically Desktop Publishing has one major player now.... insane

Yep, at this rate pretty much everything on the internet will be made on programs created by one company in the near future :| That kinda makes me sick, I can imagine the advertising now...

"Adobe WebSuite. Make your graphics in photoshop, your dynamic content in flash, and put it all together with dreamweaver! All for the value price of $1995!"

#16 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 04:36

I am surprised that Adobe has the financial muscle to pull off the acquisition.

#17 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 04:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weyland-Yutani

Seriously though: Is there no monopoly control for such mergers?[/i]

There's antitrust stuff, certainly, such that the merger must be approved before it can take place. That said, they've let some awfully shady mergers through in recent years -and not just under Bush, either- so I don't think they can be counted on.

#18 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 04:39

Everything will one day be owned by one person LOL, look at internet hotel sites. 95% of all of them are owned by Expedia.

#19 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 04:41

Expedia is owned by microsoft

#20 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 04:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Link

Expedia is owned by microsoft

Yup and Expedia owns Hotels.com. And Hotels.com and Expedia operated under a dozen different internet booking sites as well. Basically when you book a hotel online now no matter what company it is your using Expedia.

#21 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 04:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Millennium

Well those antitrust laws aren't really reliable in the EU either so I'm not used to counting on them. Anywhere in the world.

It seems almost random to me who gets slapped with the laws and who gets away with monopoly mergers. One can hope I guess.

#22 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 05:03

I'm so sad...

I need to start looking for a different profession

Freehand will most definatelly disappear...
I doubt Dreamweaver will be spared...
I have some doubts about adobe keeping director...

I would prefer if the merger was in the opposite way (keeping photoshop, of course)...

#23 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 05:20

Here, I finished up the re-branding campaign ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by by some marketing floozie

Now introducing: The all-new (speak: "re-packaged") Macrobe (alternatively: "Adodia") CSS ("CrapSuiteSquared"), consisting of:

Macrobe Photoworks
Macrobe Freelustrator
Macrobe InPage
Macrobe GoWeaver
Macrobe Flacrobat
... Plus, the exclusive, brand-spanking-new, Macrobe R.O.A.C.H. (Retina-scanning Online Activation Control Hermaphrodite)*

*- Macrobe CSS requires activation each time you wish to use any of the included applications. Usage patterns as well as personal data (including but not restricted to the name of your pet and prefered brand of bathroom tissue) will be stored on our servers and shared with members of the C.R.A.P. network (Council for Re-distribution of All Personal data) to provide you with exclusive offers that will make your professional life even more difficult. Extended use of Macrobe R.O.A.C.H. may liquify your retina. Exercise caution.

Argh - this crap just makes me want to puke ...

#24 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 05:25

Although this is a very sad day, I laughed like hell with effgee's re-branding campaig!!!

#25 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 05:29

I just hope Adobe kills off Flash. Thats the only thing I hope for with the buyout/merger. Everything else I could care less about. TextWrangler works fine for my web development along with Photoshop and Illustrator.

#26 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 05:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by exca1ibur

Uh huh. I imagine Flash represents much of the impetus for this acquisition.

#27 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 05:46

Adobe isnt going to kill off anything, at least not for a while. As long as the brands and products are successful they will keep it, even the ones that overlap. As long as GoLive makes money it will be around, as long as Dreamweaver makes money it will be around. Adobe will prob keep the brand and names intact as well, so Dreamweaver prob dont change to Adobe Dreamweave but stay Macromedia Dreamweaver just like hotels.com is still hotels.com even though Expedia owns it now.

#28 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 05:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Athens

Adobe isnt going to kill off anything, ...

LOL - I'm giving you the benfit of the doubt and call you an "optimist". Two development/marketing/q+a/etc teams doing exactly the same thing - that being the case with Illustrator/Freehand as well as ImageReady/Fireworks - how long do you think they're going to be around? Three months, maybe six? Nine at most. Those two will be the first products to be "enhanced" by tossing the respective source code in a blender, recompiling the whole shebang and firing 50% of the combined staff.

Dreamweaver/GoLive is going to be next in line for "significant enhancement" (speak: "eleventy billion new features that make development of interactive content for mobile applications easier") because "the market" requires these features (or not, but who cares anyway) ...

If I were a Macromedia employee working on the development of any of the apps above, I'd be spending today updating my resume and getting ready to schedule a whole lotta interviews ...

#29 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 05:58

Athens, you really believe they will maintain separate code bases with separate development teams on overlapping products for any duration greater than the short term?

#30 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 - 06:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Mac

Athens, you really believe they will maintain separate code bases with separate development teams on overlapping products for any duration greater than the short term?

As long as the market supports it, if they both remain profitable. What Adobe will prob do is make Dreamweaver and other products work together better with Adobe products, but I cant see them just dumping them. Adobe must know there are loyal Macromedia users and loyal Adobe users that will stick with there products and resent them if they made drastic changes. I can point out a couple more examples, Best Buy now owns Futureshop, they didnt dump the store or relable it. They built Best Buy stores, some right beside Futureshop stores and run them as seperate brands but carry almost the exact same stuff. HP bought compaq, they still sell computers under the compaq brand and hp brand.