Adobe launches cross-platform AIR

Following three beta releases, software developer Adobe has today launched AIR, its cross platform application environment.

The company has also announced the release of Flex 3, the latest incarnation of its open source development framework for building and maintaining web applications.

AIR, previously codenamed Apollo is Adobe's attempt to gain a foothold in the platform-independent application market currently dominated by Sun's Java. It draws heavily from Flash, the graphic presentation technology Adobe acquired when it bought Macromedia in 2005.

Having been through three time-limited public beta releases, the company has today released the full 1.0 version of AIR for both Windows and Mac OS as a free download, with a Linux version to follow shortly. Applications developed to run on the AIR platform are interchangeable between operating systems and hardware, as AIR provides a common runtime environment regardless of the host operating system. It is very similar to way in which Java works, allowing application portability.

"We are enabling our customers to create highly interactive, expressive applications [with AIR]. This is an exciting time for Adobe, for innovation in software, and for designers and developers," said Kevin Lynch, chief technology officer at Adobe.

AIR has a particular focus on internet-enabled applications, with many beta developers creating client application interfaces for web-based information and data sources such as Google Analytics, social networking services such as Twitter and even fully functional RSS feed readers.

"Rich internet applications have moved beyond the stage of early adoption. They are being deployed by organisations worldwide that have recognised and embraced this revolution in web software," added Lynch. "The momentum that we are already seeing with AIR demonstrates the real need for businesses to engage with customers in more effective ways, extending innovative applications to the desktop."

Meanwhile the Flex development platform, which makes extensive use of XML, costs from $249 (£125) and up.

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