Adobe FrameMaker Adds XML

Adobe previously sold two versions of Frame-Maker: a basic application used for desktop publishing that was priced at $799, and FrameMaker SGML, used for creating large catalogs and technical manuals in a structured format and priced at $1,449. Adobe is combining the two into a new offering dubbed FrameMaker 7.0, adding native XML authoring capability and pricing it at $799. The product is slated to ship in the second quarter.

"On the content management side, there is a strong desire to represent content in XML format so it can be reused, intelligently searched and

repurposed," said Karl Matthews, group product manager for FrameMaker.

In another significant move, Adobe created FrameMaker Server, a stand-alone content transformation engine that can be used for converting existing documents into XML, HTML and PDF formats. The server can also be used to assemble personalized documents for deployment through multiple channels.

"The server allows you to literally have a dynamic PDF delivery mechanism," said Ben Sloan, president and CEO of Finite Matters, a database publishing integrator and Adobe partner in Goochland, Va.

The server gives integrators new ways to add value, according to Sloan. "That's the beauty of it," he said. "It's a solution that has a lot of different options for enterprise situations. It's an application that can be implemented as part of a larger solution instead of as an off-the-shelf box."

Adobe is not alone in hoping to profit from a growing enterprise market for XML authoring and multichannel publishing solutions. Arbortext last month received a $13.5 million infusion of venture capital, while Corel is acquiring XML editing tool vendor Softquad and recently unveiled an enterprise strategy.

"[All these vendors are going after a wider use of XML in the enterprise," said Leonor Ciarlone, an analyst for Cap Ventures.