Microsoft to take on Adobe with photo tool acquisition

Stan Beer
Wednesday, 28 June 2006 21:03

Your IT - Home IT

Microsoft has acquired iView Multimedia, a UK based digital photo management company, which has an application that can compete directly Adobe products such as Photoshop and Macromedia Fireworks.

The application, called MediaPro, is a professional strength suite which has a range of digital image management and editing features.

In an open letter on the iView Multimedia website Yan Calotychos, founder of iView Multimedia, wrote: "Today marks an exciting new chapter for iView and its relationship with our customers. We’re announcing that iView has been acquired and is now part of the Microsoft Corporation. With Microsoft’s purchase of iView, we are in a position to enhance our industry-leading product, whilst strengthening our customer service and support.

"As digital asset management has become an essential requirement for all creative professionals, many of you have told us that iView MediaPro is a critical component of your business. We take that responsibility very seriously.

"In my view, this Microsoft acquisition affords us an unprecedented opportunity to be even more responsive to a thriving market and ensure that iView MediaPro continues to perform to its full potential. Our engineering and marketing team here at iView are energized and excited to be joining the Microsoft team, and I personally will continue to be involved in the evolution of the product for years to come."

According to Calotychos, Mac users of the software need not worry because it will continue to be developed on both Mac and Windows platforms. Given the preponderance of graphic designers to use Macs, Microsoft would be foolish to even consider dropping support for Macs anyway.