This Story Posted:
January 28th

 
 

[2:20 PM]
Macromedia Reports 35% Increase in Mac Sales
As another sign of the continued resurgence of the Mac platform, Macromedia has reported a 35% increase in Mac sales when compared against the year ago quarter, slightly edging out the 33% increase in Windows sales for the same time. Windows sales do still represent a majority 58% of Macromedia's overall sales. The company also reports a 44% increase in overall sales from $26,579,000 to $38,228,000 as compared with the year ago period.

Macromedia cites numerous awards, overall market acceptance of their web technologies, and several key bundling deals as contributing to their increase in sales. According to Macromedia:

"During the quarter, Macromedia announced that Apple Computer would be shipping Flash and Shockwave players with Apple's new MacOS 8.5. The Company also announced that @Home Network licensed the Flash Player technology for use in advanced digital set-top products and services. The deal allows @Home Network and its cable partners to include Flash Player technology in future set-top platforms, thereby enabling interactive Web content and native applications.

Macromedia Flash and Shockwave players continue to amass widespread industry support as technology fundamental to adding life to the Web. Flash and Shockwave players are now included with every copy of Microsoft Windows 98 and America Online's 4.0 CD-ROM, and the Flash player is included with all current versions of Netscape's Navigator browser, making rich media content instantly available for millions of Internet Explorer, AOL, and Navigator users without the necessity of separate plug-in software downloads. In addition to these automatic distribution programs, the number of Shockwave and Flash player downloads during the quarter surged 38% over the previous quarter, reaching over 40 million downloads."

The Mac Observer Spin: Macromedia, long a Mac-only developer and now a multiplatofrm developer, was showing some signs of lower confidence in the Mac platform. As Adobe has also found out, the Mac platform is still king in the graphics market and has certainly rebounded from the lows experienced before Steve Jobs returned to the helm in the Fall of 1997. As with yesterday's report from PC Data showing Mac software selling well throughout the industry, and Adobe's financial report issued earlier this month that showed a big increase in Mac sales, Macromedia's increase in Mac sales is a good sign It is also good for the Mac industry as it shows a company making a profit selling Mac goods. Congratulations to Macromedia!

Macromedia