Flash: Adobe Buys Macromedia

Adobe Systems acquires Macromedia for a reported $3.4 Billion.

Macromedia is known for Flash, a software program for animating Web pages, and Dreamweaver, a program for designing Web pages.

intended to bolster Adobe’s presence in the market for design tools for the Web and document management software for mobile phones and other wireless devices, markets in which Macromedia has gained an early lead.

The merger will combine two well know software names in an attempt to battle market giant, Microsoft and their increasing competition.

It also comes as the software industry awaits Longhorn, the next generation of Windows from Microsoft, that is expected to incorporate much of the same capabilities as Acrobat.