MSFT explorer making inroads into NSCPs turf!
This article shows that MSFT has worked WITH MACR to get ActiveX and their VRML standard into the
mass market. By using MACR and the popularity of shockwave as a PR tool, MSFT will gain wide
acceptance of activeX. I find it extremely relevant that they announce this at the same time that they releast
Internet Explorer 3.0beta supports ActiveX & the speedy Java version (I feel the first browser that can even
come close to competeing with Netscapes). Microsoft is really lacking in their Web development tools and has
made a great come back from last summers mistakes about the power and future of the internet. I think they
have realized that MACR is one of the leaders in internet software and development tools and is working hard
behind the scenes to gain internet market share with MACR. They recently signed that they will ship
shockwave built into the Internet Explorer deal. I wonder though at these prices $15.00/share, if MSFT is
considering a buyout of MACR to really give them a solid piece of a market they have struggled to gain on
there own. I think Bill, who wants to dominate every software market, may really have this somewhere in his
mind. I'm not starting a rumor of a takeover of MACR by MSFT, I heard something early in July from an
insider at MSFT of a building relationship between MSFT and MACR, but it is something interesting to
consider.
All of this would really be great for the stock of MACR in a normal market, but right now I doubt any one is
actually listening to the small caps. They just look at MOT and IBM and HWP. Hey, wasn't it great that INTC
reported such great earnings. I am so releaved.
Luck,
neko
World Wide Live
Leading Developers Worldwide Preview Power of Shockwave
SAN FRANCISCO, July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Macromedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: MACR), the leading provider of
cross-platform
software tools for Web publishing, multimedia and graphics, shipped today, at Microsoft's World Wide Live
Conference,
advance copies of the Shockwave(TM) control for ActiveX for Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 to more than
15,000 Web
developers. Shockwave will enable these developers to join the hundreds of thousands of creative
professionals, Web
masters and designers who are already developing interactive content for the Web. Macromedia Shockwave,
the standard for
multimedia and graphics on the Internet, has changed the face of the web for 5 million cybersurfers to date,
with more than
10-20 million downloads of the Shockwave expected by the end of the year.
Macromedia also demonstrated the power of dynamic multimedia on the Internet live on stage at World Wide
Live. Using
shockwave for ActiveX, Macromedia transformed The Nature Conservancy of Washington's site in seconds
from static Web
pages to a dynamic, interactive experience. "Shocked" sites are among the most popular on the Web, offering
the most
compelling way for advertisers, entertainers, educators and corporations to interact with their customers.
High-profile sites
such as CNN, Paramount's Mission Impossible, the Discovery Channel Online, Sportsline USA, Virgin
Interactive and
General Motors are among the thousands of leading Web sites using Shockwave to "shock" the Internet with
interactive
multimedia and graphics.
"With 6 million downloads, Macromedia Shockwave is rapidly becoming the standard for multimedia on the
Internet," said
John Ludwig, vice president of the platforms group at Microsoft. "Now, by supporting the ActiveX platform,
Shockwave is
available to a host of new developers and to millions of customers browsing the World Wide Web with
Microsoft Internet
Explorer 3.0."
"Now, with the delivery of Shockwave for ActiveX, over 350,000 of the world's most creative professionals
will instantly begin developing Shockwave content for Internet Explorer 3.0, having a tremendous impact on
the face of the web," said
Phillip Schiller, Macromedia's vice president of product management.
Pricing/Availability
Macromedia Shockwave for ActiveX is scheduled for general availability for free from Macromedia's Web site
later this
summer with the release of Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0. Shockwave content is created using Macromedia
Director(R) and
the Macromedia Studio. Macromedia Shockwave will also be included with Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0,
the next
versions of Windows 95, the Windows 95 original equipment manufacturers kit and the Microsoft Internet
Starter Kit.
Macromedia Director 5 for Windows and Macintosh is priced at US $850 (estimated street price). The Director
Multimedia
Studio 2 for Windows and Macintosh, which includes Director 5, Extreme3D, Macromedia xRes and
SoundEdit 16 plus
Deck II (Macintosh)/ SoundForge XP (Windows) is priced at US $999 (estimated street price) based on
special promotional
pricing through September 1996. |
