SAN JOSE, Calif.---March 4, 2002-- Adobe announced a free update to Adobe AlterCast that accelerates the Web publishing cycle by bringing dynamic imaging to Web services. The AlterCast Web services update provides support for key industry platforms for enterprise applications, including Sun ONE, IBM Web Services, Microsoft.NET and Oracle 9iAS. For many businesses, updating online content is an expensive and time-consuming task. Online images that change frequently -- to reflect new information such as a change in price or to present online consumers with a more personalized experience -- have compounded the problem. Adobe AlterCast automates the task of updating images for Web, print and wireless devices, reducing overhead costs and freeing designers to concentrate on creating more effective Web sites. With the new AlterCast Web services update, developers can now access the functionality of Adobe AlterCast over the Internet using Java, Perl or .NET APIs, allowing them to dynamically update Web images and automate image production tasks from within most programming languages or environments. For example, a Web designer or developer working off site can now automatically reformat and update text within images with a single command, making it easier to keep pace with accelerated Web publishing schedules. "In today's distributed workforce, remote accessibility of applications is vital to the success of a business,'' said Manish Bhuptani, group manager of Network Services Market Development at Sun Microsystems, Inc. "The AlterCast Web services solution, in combination with the Sun Open Net Environment (Sun ONE), will provide designers and developers with greater collaboration capabilities to help them save time, cut overhead costs and provide added value services to their customers.'' The Web services update eases the implementation of Adobe AlterCast across the enterprise by adding remote execution functionality regardless of the programming language being used. This access is provided by a Web service and implemented by a Java servlet, which accepts HTTP/SOAP requests; information is then passed to the AlterCast server to complete the task. The new capability provides a single flexible mechanism for handling AlterCast requests, making it easier to configure for efficiently managing the number of inbound connections.