Adobe Announces Availability of the Adobe SVG Viewer
Scalable Vector Graphics Viewer Enables SVG Rendering on the Web,Viewer
Shipping with Adobe Illustrator 9.0 and Available on Adobe.com
San Jose, Calif., (June 6, 2000) (Nasdaq:ADBE)-Building on its commitment
to support the next generation of web design and development, Adobe Systems
Incorporated today announced the immediate availability of the Adobe
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) Viewer, a browser extension that enables
current versions of popular web browsers such as Microsoft Internet
Explorer and Netscape Navigator to render SVG. The Adobe SVG Viewer is
included with Adobe Illustrator 9.0 software, which began shipping June
2, and is also available for download from Adobe’s web site at:
www.adobe.com/svg/viewer/install/.
SVG is the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) emerging, open language for
describing two-dimensional graphics in Extensible Markup Language (XML).
Because it expresses vector graphics in XML and is compatible with other
W3C initiatives, SVG’s impact on the design, development and ultimately the
customer experience of highly sophisticated e-commerce web sites will be
profound. The format meets the challenge of eBusiness problems by solving
the increasingly complex design issues of personalization, customization,
globalization, accessibility, and data integration.
“SVG is web technology done right,” said Steve Mulder, Chief Information
Architect, Razorfish. “Built from the ground up by those who understand
what organizations and users require, SVG delivers what has long been
desired: a vector graphics format that is feature rich, fast and truly
open. And because it’s based directly on XML, SVG provides flexibility and
interoperability with the emerging tools and workflow developers need.”
Using SVG, web site architects enjoy a more compelling authoring
environment for creating rich, multi-channel, dynamically generated
content. Graphics can be customized, modified, scripted, and adapted during
design or at run-time by a server, then distributed in an optimized form to
multiple platforms. SVG also integrates seamlessly with existing Web
workflow and standards, allowing IS professionals to incorporate content
from numerous back-end databases, servers and e-commerce engines without
the limitations of a proprietary data format. Most importantly, customers
will have a more compelling web experience, including faster downloads,
better navigation and true interactivity.
“We believe SVG will become an increasingly integral component of the
Internet,” said Ron Okamoto, senior director of product marketing, Graphics
and Dynamic Media, Adobe Systems Incorporated. “Adobe is committed to
helping ensure SVG becomes as broadly embraced as other W3C standards.
Shipping the Adobe SVG Viewer with Illustrator 9.0, and the ability of
Illustrator 9.0 to export to SVG, are simply the first steps of a larger
plan to integrate SVG capabilities into all applicable areas of the Adobe
product line.”
About SVG
The SVG language is being developed by the W3C and its members, who include
numerous technology industry leaders like Adobe, Apple, Corel Corporation,
Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM, Kodak, Macromedia, Inc., Microsoft Corp.,
Netscape Communications, Quark Inc., Sun Microsystems, Inc., and Xerox
Corporation. The specification is currently in its eighth working draft and
Last Call phase. The most recent public draft was released on March 3,
2000. For more information on SVG, please visit the W3C web site at:
www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/. In addition to SVG, the W3C is responsible for
maintaining the recommendations of fundamental web technologies and
infrastructures such as HTML, XML, SMIL, CSS, and DOM.
Availability
The Adobe SVG Viewer ships with Adobe Illustrator 9.0 software and is
expected to be included in upcoming versions of additional Adobe products,
including Adobe LiveMotion. It is also available for download from the
Adobe.com web site at: www.adobe.com/svg/viewer/install/. Adobe is
providing an SVG overview and tutorial with numerous SVG examples at:
www.adobe.com/svg/.
About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Founded in 1982, Adobe Systems Incorporated (www.adobe.com) builds
award-winning software solutions for Web and print publishing. Its graphic
design, imaging, dynamic media, and authoring tools enable customers to
create, publish and deliver visually rich content for various types of
media. Headquartered in San Jose, California, Adobe is the third largest PC
software company in the U.S., with annual revenues exceeding $1 billion.