RIM, Adobe Strengthen Ties; BlackBerry Devs to Get New Tools in CS5

BlackBerry-maker RIM and Adobe Systems will soon bring new tools to BlackBerry software developers, making it easier to build complex, valuable and good-looking mobile applications using common Adobe development utilities.

By Al Sacco
Mon, November 09, 2009

CIO — Research In Motion (RIM) along with Adobe Systems today announced an expanded partnership in which the two companies will bring new software development tools to BlackBerry mobile application developers as part of Adobe's Creative Suite 5 (CS5).

Adobe's CS5, currently rumored to be released this coming spring, and future version of the software package will include new utilities that allow designers to create various graphics, such as images and video, using a number of popular Adobe tools, including Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe After Effects, for use in BlackBerry apps.

Graphics created using these Adobe tools can be imported into existing BlackBerry development tools like the BlackBerry JDE Plug-in for Eclipse and the BlackBerry Web Plug-in for Eclipse for use in applications and user interfaces. Graphics created with utilities like Adobe Photoshop will also work with RIM's new BlackBerry Theme Studio, which will be used by developers to create high-quality BlackBerry "themes" or software "skins."

The companies will also enable Adobe's Dreamweaver, Adobe Fireworks and Adobe Device Central software to support the creation and vetting of "BlackBerry Widgets" and other online content optimized for the BlackBerry Web browser. And BlackBerry users will be able to import and employ photos and video taken via smartphone and then edit them using Adobe's Photoshop Elements and Photoshop.com.

RIM and Adobe showed off a glimpse of the new capabilities during the 2009 BlackBerry Developer Conference keynote address, in which the company also announced the new BlackBerry Academic Program, which will bring BlackBerry development- and support-training classes to colleges and universities across North America.

The two companies also recently announced their collaboration on the Open Screen Project, under which the companies aim to bring Adobe Flash support to the ailing BlackBerry Browser.

Additional information on the news is available on both RIM and Adobe's websites.

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