Adobe Adds Web Services Capability to AlterCast

Adobe Systems Inc. Monday unveiled a free update to its recently released AlterCast imaging server software that
utilizes Web services to give developers the ability to dynamically update Web images and automate production tasks using a variety
of programming languages and environments.

The new addition to the software adds the ability to access AlterCast over the Internet using Java, Perl or .NET APIs.

For instance, Adobe said a designer or developer working off site could automatically reformat and update text within images with a
single command.

AlterCast, released in January, already gives Web site publishers the ability to include images in a site’s personalized and
customized content, automate repetitive tasks associated with image production, integrate imagery into print and Web workflows,
offer real-time business charts and technical graphs directly from existing databases, and dynamically repurpose print images to the
Web.

The update provides support for platforms including Sun ONE, IBM Web Services, Microsoft .NET and Oracle 9iAS. Provided as a Web
service and implemented with a Java servlet which accepts HTTP/SOAP requests, the update provides remote execution functionality
regardless of the programming language used.

“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. “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 update is available here.