I’ve been in the software business for much of my career, and there has been one constant through all this time:  the speed and complexity of the industry continue to rise.  The enormous issues we face today –  like cybersecurity threats, challenges to intellectual property protection and the need for patent reform – make it essential for us to have strong industry leadership to navigate and advocate on the software industry’s behalf.

Given this need, we’re delighted with the appointment of Victoria Espinel as the new president and CEO of BSA | The Software Alliance. Through her White House experience, Victoria brings a strong ability to bring diverse stakeholders together and work effectively with policymakers in Washington and worldwide.  BSA has long been a leading advocate for the software industry, promoting an environment that supports innovation and helps drive the economy and improve quality of life around the world.

Last year at this time, John Warnock and Chuck Geschke were at the White House receiving the National Medal of Technology Innovation from President Obama.  This past weekend, they were awarded the 2010 Marconi Society Prize for their seminal contributions to publishing and imaging technology.  The annual prize – established in 1975 – recognizes scientists whose work in the fields of communications and IT advances the social, economic and cultural improvement of all humanity.  The Marconi is one of the most prestigious awards in our industry, and it was an honor to join John and Chuck at the dinner ceremony last Saturday.  They don’t like to call attention to themselves, but their remarkable partnership, defined by dedication and a willingness to take risks, has made an indelible mark on the world.

Adobe’s success is a testament to John and Chuck’s original vision.  We continue to expand the frontiers of digital experiences, building on the foundation of their pioneering software inventions.  We also retain the culture and values they instilled in Adobe from the beginning and that continue to set us apart today.  I feel fortunate to have spent a significant portion of my career working with these two industry leaders, and I know everyone at Adobe is extremely proud of them and them and their remarkable accomplishments.

This morning Adobe’s Andrew Kirkaptrik was able to witness history with President Obama signing the 21st century video accessibility bill. As part of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, President Obama this morning signed the Accessibility Act, which will increase access to video programming on the Internet – something that Adobe Flash video has supported since Flash CS3.

Impact of this legislation has on Flash developers will be the delivery of closed captions for video online, followed by the provision of accessible controls for video and video description to aid comprehension of content by users who are blind or visually-impaired, many requirements that Adobe tools already provide support! See Andrew’s blog for more detailed information.

Adobe CEO, Shantanu Narayen, is participating in a White House event today focused on modernizing government. The event brings together private sector and federal government leaders to discuss new ways to use technology to streamline government operations, improve customer service, and maximize returns on information technology investments.

President Obama will speak at the opening session, which will be followed by five breakout discussions. Among them is a session on managing technology return on investment, moderated by Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew and including Shantanu.

The opening and closing sessions, as well as all five breakout discussions, will be streamed live on www.WhiteHouse.gov/live.

See a piece about the event on the Huffington Post today co-bylined by Shantanu and a few other participating CEOs.

Watch Adobe’s Rob Pinkerton, director of Public Sector Solutions, discuss the event here.

As we discussed here in the past few weeks, the 2009 Adobe Government Assembly took place on November 4 in Washington D.C. The one-day conference focused on the next generation of government, with discussion of transparency, collaboration and citizen participation.

The program included a keynote from Cokie Roberts of ABC News and NPR, as well as presentations from several industry and government executives. Among them was Adobe’s Rob Tarkoff, who provided an industry perspective on Open Government. You can watch Rob’s speech, as well as a Blue Ribbon panel that included former White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers and representatives from the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Defense, on the Adobe Government Assembly event site.

Also, check out this brief video that captures some of the highlights from the event and featured speakers.

Federal News Radio ran a piece on the event with some interesting sound bites from different presenters, and Medill News Service posted a column on the conference, as well.

Interested in keeping current with Adobe in the Government market? Follow the team on Twitter at: @AdobeGov.

Photo via http://www.adobegovernmentassembly.com/

Adobe co-founders John Warnock and Chuck Geschke received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Barack Obama at a White House ceremony October 7. See the video of the ceremony (http://www.whitehouse.gov/video/President-Obama-Awards-National-Medal-of-Science-and-Medal-of-Technology/) You can skip to about 22:30 to see Warnock and Geschke accept their medals on the White House Web site.

Warnock and Geschke were honored for their “pioneering contributions that spurred the desktop publishing revolution and for changing the way people create and engage with information and entertainment across multiple mediums including print, Web and video.”

“It is a privilege to present these medals, our nation’s highest honor for scientific and technological achievement,” President Obama told John and Chuck.

Check out the news articles in the San Jose Mercury News (http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_13506073) and the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal (http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/10/05/daily57.html)

Adobe co-founders John Warnock and Chuck Geschke have been chosen to receive the nation’s highest honor bestowed on scientists, engineers and inventors — the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. President Obama will present their awards on October 7 during a White House ceremony. Check out the official press release here.

Warnock and Geschke are recognized for their pioneering contributions that spurred the desktop publishing revolution and for changing the way people create and engage with information and entertainment across multiple mediums including print, Web and video.

Other esteemed recipients this year include: Dr. Forrest M. Bird, Percussionaire Corp.; Dr. Esther Sans Takeuchi, University at Buffalo, SUNY; and IBM Corporation.

Check out the news articles in the San Jose Mercury News and nextgov.