The publishing industry faces an enormous challenge: to transform its legacy workflow systems to take advantage of the latest print and Web technologies. Most existing solutions were developed before the widespread adoption of digital networks, the Web, and PDF. Many of today's proprietary publishing systems are simply running out of steam.

What publishers need is a new publishing platform that integrates advances in print, Web, and dynamic media technologies into a complete cross-media environment. As one of the pioneers of desktop publishing, Adobe Systems is uniquely qualified to provide this platform.

Next-generation solutions
The Adobe® Professional Publishing Platform, announced on March 2 by John Warnock and Dr. Charles Geschke, is designed to support the next generation of cross-media publishing solutions. Based on a foundation of print and Web standards, including PostScript®, Portable Document Format (PDF), XML, and Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), the Adobe Professional Publishing Platform brings together a highly integrated collection of tools and technologies for the creation, assembly, and delivery of content-rich documents.

Already renowned for market-leading applications such as Adobe Photoshop®, Adobe Illustrator®, Adobe ImageStyler™, and Adobe Acrobat®, and for core technologies such as PostScript and PDF, Adobe is extending its collection of creative applications with two new products: Adobe InDesign™ and the newly acquired Adobe GoLive™.

Next-generation tools
Adobe InDesign represents the first significant advancement in page layout in more than a decade. With a flexible, object-oriented architecture, unmatched precision and control, and smooth integration with other Adobe applications, InDesign is the future of professional page layout and design.

Adobe GoLive, already the winner of 25 best-product awards, completes Adobe's creative suite with an innovative professional Web design and publishing system.

Future technologies
Adobe is now working with other industry leaders and the W3C to define the next standard for print and Web graphics, SVG. Adobe continues to deliver on the promise of digital workflow with Adobe Acrobat 4.0 and Adobe PressReady™.

The rapid growth of the Web and the transition to an all-digital workflow present huge challenges in the management of digital assets and the coordination of cross-functional publishing teams. To address the need for new workflow solutions, Adobe is aggressively developing new technologies and products based on open, extensible architectures. Adobe is also working with third parties who provide workflow solutions to ensure their solutions will include Adobe products.