Adobe Announces Technical Communication Suite 1.3

This announcement was prepared by Adobe Systems Incorporated.

SAN JOSE, Calif - June 19, 2008 - Adobe Systems Incorporated today announced the newest version of its leading suite of tools for authoring, managing, and publishing interactive technical documentation with AdobeR Technical Communication Suite® 1.3. The suite includes Adobe Captivate 3, Adobe FrameMaker 8, RoboHelp 7 and now the latest version of Acrobat - Acrobat 9 Pro Extended, replacing Acrobat 3D with the highest version of Acrobat software available.

The Technical Communication Suite 1.3 addresses the demand for the industry to incorporate videos, rich media and interactivity into technical communications in an effort to communicate visually. A significant benefit for technical communicators is the deep support for Adobe Flash technology in Acrobat 9 Pro Extended, which enables users to include Adobe Flash Player compatible video and application files in PDF documents. Technical writers can easily create visual materials by including Flash files and video in user manuals, knowledge bases, technical documents and help systems, for example.

"It's always been challenging to get people to read user manuals, but now in the digital age, it's impossible. People expect and want to interact with technical information in the same way they do on the Internet, and rarely give static materials a second glance," said RJ Jacquez, Adobe senior product evangelist. "This has left technical communicators searching for efficient and economical solutions to add visual and interactive elements to documentation. The enhancements in TCS 1.3 make it a complete solution for adding rich media to materials, whether video, software simulations, pictures or 3D models."

For many technical writers, information may come from a variety of sources and in multiple file types, which makes it challenging to share and edit content. Now with the PDF Portfolio feature of Acrobat 9, technical communicators can create portfolios that combine multiple file types, ranging from Flash to Adobe Presenter to Microsoft Office, into one reviewable PDF document. With the simultaneous launch of Acrobat.com, technical authors can share their PDF Portfolios online for real-time and interactive review and collaboration, regardless of the file size and without having to involve IT departments.

Acrobat 9 Pro Extended includes the latest version of Adobe Presenter, making it simple to add images, video, voiceover and Adobe Captivate content to PowerPoint presentations, and 3D Reviewer, a new application with advanced features to make editing and interacting with 3D models simple for technical communicators. The application allows 3D files created with different applications to be brought together in one final file, which for the first time allows technical communicators to leverage existing materials without painstaking effort. For more information about Acrobat 9 Pro Extended, visit http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatproextended/.

Pricing/Availability

Adobe Technical Communication Suite 1.3 is expected to be available in July 2008. The Technical Communication Suite 1.3 is expected to cost US$1,599. Registered and qualified users of any previous versions of the suite's point products can upgrade at expected cost of US$999. Registered and qualified Technical Communication Suite users can upgrade for an expected cost of US$229. For more information about the Technical Communication Suite 1.3, visit http://www.adobe.com/products/technicalcommunicationsuite/.

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