Adobe marks 20 years

EDP Weekly's IT Monitor, Oct 21, 2002

Adobe Systems (Nasdaq:ADBE) Incorporated recently commemorated its twentieth anniversary with a rare public reunion of the company's two founders and CEO at a meeting of the Churchill Club of Silicon Valley.

Founded in 1982 by former Xerox PARC scientists John Warnock and Charles Geschke, Adobe is widely credited for its role in launching the desktop publishing revolution. From early inventions such as Adobe PostScript technology--the programming language that transformed communications between PCs and printers--to later offerings such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign, Adobe products have been at the forefront of modern-day publishing advancements.

Today, Adobe technologies are so ingrained in visual communications that virtually every publishing medium--from magazines, billboards and Web pages to streaming video and blockbuster movies--is touched by at least one Adobe product. Adobe's business has expanded to serve not only the publishing professional, but also the digital imaging and digital video enthusiast and, increasingly, the business and enterprise user of Acrobat-based ePaper solutions.

"John and Chuck are key inventors of our time," said Bruce Chizen, president and CEO of Adobe. "Their contribution to publishing with the invention of PostScript may be as impactful as Johannes Gutenberg's development of the printing press in the 1450's. Just as Gutenberg made mass communication possible, John and Chuck helped bring electronic publishing to every desktop computer. Along the way, they created a company that continues to build on its innovations to bring new solutions to whole new markets."

In a panel discussion hosted by the Churchill Club of Silicon Valley and moderated by Paul Saffo of the Institute for the Future, Warnock, Geschke and Chizen will discuss the company's humble beginnings, its impact on society and Adobe's plans for leveraging the Adobe Acrobat and PDF franchise to fuel its next phase of expansion.

Founded in 1982, Adobe Systems Incorporated (www.adobe.com), the leader in network publishing, offers a comprehensive line of software for enterprise and creative professional customers. Its products enable customers to create, manage and deliver visually rich, compelling and reliable content. Based in San Jose, Calif., Adobe is one of the world's largest software companies.