According to a News.com report Adobe Systems (ADBE) has threatened an anti-trust law suit against Microsoft Corp (MSFT) over PDF integration in Office 2007 and Windows Vista.
At the center of this threat is Adobe's fear of loss of revenue from its very profitable Acrobat line of Business. Currently to create a PDF file from Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint etc. (in the MS Office suite) a user has 4 options -- 3 from Adobe the other from 3rd party software vendors. The lawsuit may hurt Adobe, if Microsoft does go ahead and either acquire or license PDF creation technology from a 3rd party vendor.
The 4 options users have to create PDF files are :
- 3rd party Software Vendors: PDF is an open starndard. PDF creation is free in Mac OS X Apple Computer Inc.'s operating system. Several 3rd party software developers like PDF995 provide free plug-ins for PDF creation. Quark Inc. used Jaws PDF engine from Global Graphics for generating PDF files directly from QuarkXPress.
- Buy Adobe Acrobat : Buy Adobe Acrobat Standard (price US $ 299), Acrobat Professional (price US $ 499) or Acrobat 3D (price US $ 995). These 3 versions of Adobe Acrobat install plug-ins in various Microsoft Office products that allow a user one-button creation of PDF files.
- Buy Adobe's Online service subscription: Purchase an Online subscription from Adobe to Create PDF files online. Annual subscription chare is US $ 99.
- Adobe Elements Access PDF creation through Acrobat Elements purchased by an Enterprise (Acrobat Elements is sold for a minimum of 100 seats).
» Adobe's Options in the PDF battle with Microsoft from TheBizofCoding
This post continues from my previous post Adobe threatens anti-trust suit against Micsoft over PDF integartion. The PDF battle that is raging between Adobe Systems (ADBE) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT) is a classic example of Technology Commoditization. Xer... [Read More]
Tracked on: June 3, 2006 12:52 AM | Permalink to Trackback