Adobe Acquires Video Software Maker Serious Magic

by John Neely
Published on Oct 19, 2006 8:00 AM



October 19, 2006 - Adobe Systems Incorporated has acquired Serious Magic Inc. according to an announcement released by the company today.  Serious Magic, based in Folsom, CA is a maker of video software including DV Rack, a direct-to-disk field recording and monitoring application, and Visual Communicator and Vlog It, a video blogging tool.  The acquisition of Serious Magic adds a number of popular video acquisition and delivery tools to the Adobe stable in a move that appears to fit with the company's efforts to consolidate its position in creative tools. The company's logo (seen left) has already been refurbished for their website.

“The purchase of Serious Magic accelerates our vision to make, not just video but all dynamic media, an even more ubiquitous communications vehicle, whether you're delivering content for the broadcast market, over the web or on mobile devices,” said John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions Business Unit at Adobe in a statement.  Serious Magic's products will remain on store shelves, but Adobe plans to include Serious Magic technologies in future releases of its software, presumably including its Premiere non-linear editing products.

Mark Randall, CEO and Chief Magician at Serious MagicRandall will join Adobe as chief strategist, Dynamic Media.  Terms of the acquisition of Serious Magic, a privately held company, were not disclosed.