FlashPaper to become a feature in Acrobat

Macromedia FlashPaper allows easy creation of both PDFs and Flash documents - SWF files that are interchangeable with PDFs for most Web purposes. Look for Adobe to rapidly make FlashPaper go away as a standalone product, replaced by new functionality in Acrobat: the ability to save documents as SWF files.

This is predicted in a report by the Forrester research group on the future of Flash after the Adobe-Macromedia merger Adobe's PDF standard is already facing the heat from Microsoft's Metro which is being called by some as a potential "Adobe Killer".

Similar to NPD prediction, this report also carries good news from Flash users. Adobe Systems’ impending purchase of Macromedia has raised questions about the future of Flash. But the acquisition makes prospects for Flash-related products even brighter than before as Macromedia gets a much-needed infusion of marketing clout along with some intriguing opportunities for tool synergies.

Flash Player will keep its sacred status. Adobe knows that this is the crown jewel that makes all of the Flash-related products so compelling. Flash MX tools slowly transform into part of the “Photoshop family”. Adobe will add support for Flash Video to its video tools namely Premiere Pro and After Effects. Adobe will put the format squarely in focus for Web designers who want to create streaming video.

Download the full report "With Adobe in Charge, What Will Happen to Flash? (PDF, 96K)" here.