The company suffered further blows when shareholders filed class-action lawsuits accusing the company of insider trading. However, the many acquisitions early on still meant debts. CEO Robert Burgess, who joined the company in 1996, began shifting the focus of Macromedia from CD-ROM software to Web tools, and cut 10 percent of the workforce. Shockwave allowed Web users to view animation and movies through standard browser technology.ĭespite the early success of Shockwave, Macromedia found itself in debt by 1997. A year later Macromedia unveiled its Shockwave product, which would soon become the company's most successful creation and was synonymous with the Macromedia brand. In 1995, Web-browser pioneer Netscape incorporated Macromedia software into its Web browser, creating a substantial user base. The purchase marked the company's foray into illustration and design, though it worried some users who were accustomed to Macromedia's strong suit in multimedia software. They also acquired Altsys' Fontographer program. They purchased Altsys Corp., maker of the then-popular FreeHand illustration and desktop publishing software. Authorware was a multimedia authoring software company started by Michael Allen in 1985, and MacroMind/ParaComp was a multimedia, design, and visualization software company created by the merger of ParaComp and MacroMind in 1991.ĭuring its early years, Macromedia was establishing a foothold in the media-design authoring software field while streamlining the merger. Macromedia formed in 1992 when Authorware and MacroMind/ParaComp merged. To that end, the company's Web site provides millions of users with media content, including games and films.Įmerging from the Primordial Multimedia Ooze The company also strives to promote the Web as a premiere media content provider. Web developers depend on Macromedia's suite of Web design, development, and media player products to design and deliver compelling, interactive content on the Internet. AOL Time Warner (Netscape), Microsoft, and Apple have integrated Macromedia's technology into their products, ensuring widespread use. Macromedia's Flash, Shockwave, FreeHand, Director, and other software have helped to define multimedia content, applications, and interactivity on the Web. Anyone who uses the Internet knows Macromedia, Inc.'s products well, if not necessarily by name.
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