Acrobat isn’t just a product anymore, it’s a brand
The AcroUser blogsphere has been a little quiet lately because most of us have been focused on prepping for Acrobat 8. Now that it has been announced, I am sure you will be seeing a lot of posts about it.
There’s a lot to say. 8 is a big-time release with a new interface and lots of new features and enhancements, like the capability to enable digital signatures and saving in Reader for limited distribution.
To me, the most interesting thing about Acrobat and Reader 8 are the hooks to Acrobat Connect, formerly Macromedia Breeze. Breeze is online conferencing and meeting software based on Flash.
As far as I know, branding Connect as Acrobat Connect is the first time Adobe has put the Acrobat name on a non-PDF product.
Connect/Breeze is not part of Acrobat/Reader, but Adobe has placed very prominent links to Connect in both Reader and Acrobat.
In addition, it appears that Adobe will change the Breeze pricing model for small Connect meetings. I haven’t seen anything firm, but charges are supposed to be along the lines of a monthly phone bill for an online meeting of a dozen or so.
The version of Connect you see offered in Acrobat and Reader puts Adobe in the business of being an Application Service Provider (ASP) in a big way. You subscribe to the service, and Adobe provides it, just like your local utility provides water and electricity.
If Adobe gets the pricing and feature set right, Connect could out-Skype Skype. If Connect takes off with a push from Reader and Acrobat, it could transform Adobe into something like a utility company and make small group online meetings as routine as phone calls.
Who knows where this could lead? In the 20th Century AT&T was known as Ma Bell. In the 21st, everyone may look to Ma Adobe for online meetings.
September 18th, 2006 at 4:22 pm
A short postscript: I see in my print edition of the Wall Street Journal that the monthly subscription fee for Acrobat Connect will be $39 a month for meetings of up to 15 participants.
I haven’t see anything in print, but my understanding is that just the host has to be a subscriber. Everyone else attends for free. There are no limits on the number of meetings you can hold per month.
—Carl
September 21st, 2006 at 9:50 am
That is correct, Carl.
There is NO CHARGE for subscribers - ANYONE can attend (provided they have a computer with a web browser and the Flash plugin).
And you can have as many meetings, of any length, as you wish.
Leonard
September 21st, 2006 at 3:45 pm
Thanks, Leonard. I also should have pointed out that Acrobat Connect is cross platform–Mac or Windows users can host meetings as well as participate.
If you want to see what Connect is like, you can get a free trial Breeze account at http://www.adobe.com/products/breeze/.
Anyone know specific differences between what you see with the Breeze trial and what Connect will offer?
—Carl