REDMOND, WASH., AND SAN FRANCISCO SEPT. 11, 2001 — Microsoft Corp. and Macromedia Inc. today announced that Macromedia Flash (TM) Player 5 will ship with all versions of the Microsoft® Windows®
XP operating system, the highly anticipated next major version of the Windows operating system, scheduled for worldwide availability on Oct. 25.
“With Windows XP, we’re committed to delivering the best multimedia experience on the Web through new technologies in digital media and Internet browsing,” said Chris Jones, vice president of the Windows Client Group at Microsoft. “Distributing Macromedia Flash Player 5 in Windows XP complements the rich media services provided by Microsoft and ensures that Windows XP delivers the great media experiences that our customers expect.”
“Macromedia and Microsoft are committed to working together to help define and deliver rich media on the Web,” said Rob Burgess, chairman and CEO of Macromedia. “This continues our long-standing relationship with Microsoft, ensuring that our leading Web technologies and platforms work well together to deliver the best user experience.”
Leading customers such as Walt Disney Co., Coca-Cola Co. and General Motors Corp. use Macromedia Flash to deliver effective Web interfaces and engaging, branded experiences online. Macromedia Flash is also widely used for e-learning applications and was utilized by Microsoft for the informational “Tour of Windows XP” experience that ships with the operating system.
Macromedia Flash Player is one of the most distributed pieces of software in the history of the Web. More than 97 percent of online users can immediately view Macromedia Flash content. The broad penetration of the player across all leading platforms and devices ensures that developers can create high-impact Web experiences that have an immediate potential audience of nearly every person online. More information on authoring Macromedia Flash content can be found at http://www.macromedia.com/flash/ .
Building on the momentum of the Internet and digital media, Windows XP includes many enhancements that increase productivity and make using a PC easy and exciting for both business and home users. Windows XP extends the personal computing experience by uniting PCs, devices and services and brings the solid foundation of an enhanced Windows 2000 engine to home users, enhancing the reliability, security and performance of their PC. With Internet Explorer 6 technologies and improved Web services, Windows XP acts as an integration point on the Web, in the home, on the move and at work. Windows XP also makes end-to-end scenarios, such as enjoying digital photographs and music on the PC, intuitive and dependable.
About Macromedia
Macromedia (Nasdaq “MACR”) is passionate about what the Web can be. Its award-winning products empower designers and developers to efficiently create and deliver the most engaging experiences on the Web, and enable innovative Internet business applications. Headquartered in San Francisco, Macromedia has more than 1,500 employees worldwide and is available on the Internet at http://www.macromedia.com/ .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
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