Adobe to Offer Photoshop Online Soon

Adobe Systems has reportedly announced that it will take its image-editing software, Photoshop, online within six months. However, it is not clear whether the online version will be free for web users like Google’s online photo editing software, Picasa.

According to news reports, Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen said that the upcoming online service is part of a larger move to introduce ad-supported online services to complement its existing products and broaden the company reach into the consumer market. He also said that Adobe has laid the foundation for a hosted Photoshop product with Adobe Remix, a Web-based video-editing tool it offers through the PhotoBucket media-sharing site.

He added that the company intends to offer entirely hosted applications, as well as ‘hybrids,’ in which Adobe will use the Web to introduce features to desktop products, such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Also, as Adobe introduces more online multimedia features and products, the company may combine Photoshop and video-editing suite Premiere Pro with Macromedia.

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According to reports, Chizen also noted that Google’s Picasa is the most likely candidate to challenge Adobe as it offers hosted media-editing applications. He indicated that Adobe is still weighing its options with regard to how it will deliver hosted, ad-supported services.

He also clarified that the deal with PhotoBucket around Adobe Remix is not exclusive and that Adobe will be able to share advertising dollars without having to invest in the computing infrastructure and people to operate the Web site.