Adobe Tablet Push Rides On Creative Cloud

Adobe Systems the increasingly important tablet market

At its MAX 2011 technology conference, Adobe first pulled the curtain off of the Adobe Creative Cloud, which the company said will redefine the content creation process and become the focal point for creativity, "where millions can access desktop and tablet applications, essential creative services, and share their best work."

At the heart of the Adobe Creative Cloud are Adobe Touch Apps, the company's new family of six touch-screen content creation applications built specifically for Google Android tablets and the Apple iPad. The six Adobe Touch Apps are Adobe Photoshop Touch, Adobe Collage, Adobe Debut, Adobe Ideas, Adobe Kuler and Adobe Proto. The applications leverage tablet and hosted cloud-based services let users share files, view them across devices or transfer work into Adobe Creative Suite software for further refinement.

"Adobe Touch Apps deliver high-impact creative expression to anyone who has a tablet," said Kevin Lynch, Adobe CTO, in a statement. "With Adobe imaging magic coming to tablet devices, new apps like Photoshop Touch will open your mind about the potential of the touch interface for creativity and demonstrate that tablets are an essential part of anyone's creative arsenal."

Adobe Creative Cloud, anchored by Adobe Touch Apps, is a major re-imagining of Adobe's Creative Software. According to Adobe, Creative Cloud is the hub for viewing, sharing and syncing the files created by Adobe Touch Apps and Adobe Creative Suite. The Creative Cloud offers 20 GB of cloud storage.

Adobe expects that Adobe Creative Cloud will offer access to Adobe's flagship applications and services and become an essential resource for Adobe software users. By early next year, Adobe expects the Creative Cloud play to include applications, services and community capabilities.

Adobe said that Adobe Creative Cloud's pricing and capabilities will be unveiled in November. Meanwhile, Adobe Touch Apps will launch for Android in November, with an iOS availability announcement expected in early 2012.

"Adobe Creative Cloud reinvents creative expression by enabling a new generation of services for creativity and publishing, that embrace touch interaction to re-imagine how individuals interact with creative tools and build deeper social connections between creatives around the world," Lynch added."The move to the Creative Cloud is a major component in the transformation of Adobe."

Along with Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe Touch Apps, the company also revealed a pair of acquisitions during MAX 2011. First, Adobe said it acquired privately held mobile application development software maker Nitobi Software, which makes the PhoneGap open source platform for building cross platform mobile applications with HTML5 and JavaScript. Second, Adobe scooped up privately held Typekit, a subscription-based cloud service that offers developers and designers a type font library in the cloud. Adobe did not reveal the terms of the two acquisitions.