Open at Adobe

Next week I'll be attending the 2008 Europe Open Source Think Tank. As those of you who read this blog now and then know, I really like the OSTT events.

Like any good think tank, I'm hoping for a mix of people, from early innovators, community types, commercial developers and supporters, big companies, legal aces, and so on. Part of the strength of think tank is the mix of people and the networks we build, part of it is the sheer fun in discussing the world from so many different points of view. And the intelligence in the room is awe inspiring.

Since this is the first one in Europe, I suspect the mix will be different.  And I'm all for that. A good think tank also needs new blood, new ideas. I'd probably say that the attendees from the last two in California know my personal hot buttons, at what points I'll go from serene to savage. And I do admit poking hot buttons myself every now and again :-) .

Yes, the event is limited in attendance. But any good think tank needs such limitations, or little thinking gets done.  I'm not a believer in the "intelligence of crowds", at least not where innovation is concerned. Instead, give me a few smart people, a technological lever, and we can move the financial worlds. ("And that's what open source is all about, Charlie Brown").

Think Tank gives me a chance to discuss the impacts that open source can have on commercial practices.  Fanatics aside, just releasing all software to open source and depending on the goodwill of our fellows doesn't work in the current commercial practices of software companies.  Companies are beginning to recognize open source is important and needs to co-exist in some level, hybrid or mixed.

Anyway, if you're around the OSTT in Paris next week, stop by and let me know.

Posted by Dave McAllister at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There's something happening here. And for the multiple screens in your life, the answer is perfectly clear.

Adobe's President and CEO, Shantanu Narayen, is one of the keynoters at CTIA today. It's a cool discussion on the impact that that the new world order of that ties three things together: Network (and subscriber) Growth, Rapid Innovation, and the Evolution of Expectations by the consumer.  As part of it, Shantanu talks about the continuing work of the Open Screen Project.

When we announced the Open Screen Project, Adobe committed to making certain specifications available. "Published" as they usually get called. We kicked that off with SWF and FLV/F4V.  We had already released others, like AMF.

Today, Adobe is publishing the next of the specs, the Mobile Content Delivery Protocol (Formerly Flash® Cast™ protocol). This communication protocol describes a mechanism for data to be synchronized between mobile phones and a network-based server in an efficient, mobile network–friendly manner. And manners are always a good thing.

As the Open Screen Project continues to evolve, with companies recognizing and supporting the vision of "device to desktop", the three facets of Shantanu's talk come closer to reality for us all.

Posted by Dave McAllister at 09:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)