San Jose, Calif.,--Adobe Systems Incorporated today announced a strategic alliance with RealNetworksÆ, Inc. (Nasdaq: RNWK), the recognized leader in media delivery on the Internet. Through the alliance, which supports Adobe's Network Publishing initiative, the two companies will develop enhanced solutions for web professionals to author streaming media for today's most web compelling web experiences, such as eBusinesses that deliver streamed video, audio and animation. As a result of the alliance, Adobe's SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) viewer will be available to RealPlayerÆ users through RealNetworks' auto-update service; Adobe will develop a SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integrated Language) extension for its Web authoring tool, AdobeÆ GoLiveÅ 5.0; and Adobe will include support for RealAudioÆ and RealVideoÆ 8 in the next version of Adobe PremiereÆ. These initiatives will bring the highest quality, rich multimedia content to Web publishers and their customers, whether they choose to view it on a PC, handheld device, or Internet appliance. "This collaboration between Adobe and RealNetworks is a watershed event for the publishing industry," said Rob Glaser, chairmanand CEO, RealNetworks, Inc. "Web publishers can now create rich media content and publish it directly and seamlessly to the RealPlayer. As a result, the over 155 million unique registered users of the RealPlayer will enjoy even more great multimedia content." SMIL, a W3C standard first approved in April, 1998, is a deeply integrated component of RealSystemÆ, and has experienced tremendous adoption as the layout language for streaming media on the Web. Adobe GoLive 5.0 software is an intuitive authoring environment complete with visual design tools, powerful production capabilities for rich media, and robust site management features. The SMIL extension for GoLive 5.0 will provide Web developers with a powerful environment to build Web-based multimedia presentations that are easier to create, layout and display. The SMIL extension for GoLive 5.0 is planned to be available as a download from Adobe.com and RealNetworks.com before the end of 2000. "We are thrilled to work with RealNetworks to provide deeper support for SMIL in our content creation tools," said Bruce Chizen, president of Adobe. "Through open standards such as SMIL and SVG, developers will be able to deliver rich, programmable multimedia experiences to users anywhere, on any device. The collaboration between Adobe and RealNetworks brings that vision one step closer to reality." SVG is the emerging open-standard for vector graphics that lets Web professionals design sites with high-resolution graphics and deliver the most compelling multimedia experience. Using SVG, content providers can use plain text commands to render sophisticated elements such as gradients, animation, and filter effects and deliver rich graphics and multilingual text within the RealPlayer. The Adobe SVG viewer is a plug-in that is planned to be available through RealNetworks in the second quarter of 2001. About RealNetworks: RealNetworks, Inc., based in Seattle, is the recognized leader in media delivery on the Internet. It develops and markets software products and services designed to enable users of personal computers and other consumer electronic devices to send and receive audio, video and other multimedia services using the Web. Consumers can access and experience audio/video programming and download RealNetworks consumer software on the Internet at http://www.real.com. RealNetworks' systems and corporate information is located on the Internet at http://www.realnetworks.com.