Adobe Systems has snapped up video software company Serious Magic in a bid to capitalize on the increased prevalence of video on the Web.Serious Magic is known for easy-to-use video editing tools aimed at home and business users. They include Visual Communicator, for recording and editing video presentations, and Vlog It, for posting video to blogs.Adobe will continue to sell the Serious Magic products and also combine the company’s technologies in future Adobe products, it said Wednesday. Adobe’s video software includes the Premiere Elements editing suite and Flash Video, which is used to deliver video at YouTube and MySpace.com.Serious Magic, based in Folsom, Calif., is privately held, and financial terms of the acquisition weren’t disclosed. Adobe said the purchase won’t have a material impact on its finances. Mark Randall, Serious Magic’s chief executive officer, will become chief strategist in Adobe’s Dynamic Media division. Serious Magic also makes Ovation, for customizing PowerPoint presentations, and DV Rack, for recording video directly from a camcorder to a hard drive.The acquisition should help Adobe compete better with its rivals in video, which include Corel’s Snapfire, Ulead Systems’ VideoStudio and AIST’s Movie DV. It’s Adobe’s second acquisition this month. Earlier it bought some vector graphics technologies from Actimagine that it will incorporate into Adobe Flash Lite, which is for mobile phones.-James Niccolai, IDG News Service (Paris Bureau)Related Links: Adobe Releases Acrobat 8, Updates Creative Suite Adobe Buys Actimagine, Extends Mobile Offerings Adobe Contribute 4 Released Adobe Offers New Photoshop Lightroom BetaCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Help wanted: IT tools and talent for building a multicloud estate Like all trade workers, IT leaders need the right tools and skills to succeed in a multicloud world characterized by application and data sprawl. By Chad Dunn, Vice President, Product Management, Dell APEX Jun 07, 2023 5 mins Multi Cloud brandpost A guide to hybrid cloud deployment for innovation without disruption How do organizations balance their on-premises preferences and requisites with the crucial need to innovate? By Ahmed Helmy, Global Vice President, Avaya Experience Platform Product Management Jun 07, 2023 3 mins Hybrid Cloud brandpost Bringing AI to your organization? Better bring the right database Why Apache Cassandra offers the scalability, reliability, and speed required for building artificial intelligence applications. By Patrick McFadin Jun 07, 2023 7 mins Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence feature 7 ways to spot hidden IT talent within your ranks Your organization has hidden IT superstars in the making — both within and outside IT. Here’s how to find and elevate them for maximum impact. By John Edwards Jun 07, 2023 8 mins Staff Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe