Adobe Embraces The iPad

Last week all the rage was about the new Wired Magazine Application that came out for the iPad. Apparently, Adobe worked very closely with Wired’s publishing company, Condé Nast, to make the digital edition possible. This week, Adobe unleashed a press release detailing their involvement and commitment to the iPad, despite the whole Flash debate with Apple. Here’s the full details… and even a channel hook for VARs.

Straight up, here’s what we know from the press release. First, it’s not Flash. Second, you build your magazine using ‘additional Adobe publishing technologies’ and InDesign CS5. Then the (assumed) magic happens as it gets transplanted into the newly built Adobe Digital Viewer. David Burkett, VP and general manager of Adobe’s Creative Solutions was quoted saying…

The digital viewer software was developed with input from Condé Nast’s Wired team, and was built from the ground up to provide interactive features, along with showcasing Adobe’s new technology. Video, slide shows, 360 degree images and other touchable content all blends together, plus, it’s orientational-ly agnostic. Translation? When you rotate the iPad in either portrait or landscape mode, the page reformats dynamically to provide the optimal viewing experience. The digital viewer technology also lets as user zoom out and view all the pages at a glance, with each article’s pages group together. And of course, there’s interactive ads.

Since Condé Nast was so overwhelmingly pleased with the production and relationship with Adobe, they noted that it just the beginning. So be on the lookout for more of your Condé Nast favorites hitting the iPad really soon.Adobe says they’re currently looking at ways to deliver this software platform easily to help publishers transform and InDesign magazine into an iPad one in a few clicks and also port this technology to upcoming smartphones.

So that’s great, but what’s the channel implication look like? Two things spring to mind: training and the Healthcare Vertical. Can you picture your digital training guide with the iPad at hand? Read up on the notes, watch a video, and get a 360 zoom-able view of the device you’ll be installing or selling.  If you’re in a hospital, doctors could actively keep notes next to video sand images of MRI or other live content. Adobe’s digital viewer platform has a lot of potential, and I think the magazine is just scratching the surface.