Results

Adobe has long been known for their software applications which appeal to designers, developers, businesses, and everyday users. They are now making a series of moves into the “Software As A Service” (SAAS) industry, in a clear attempt to compete with Google and Microsoft. At the Max show late last year, Adobe announced their plans for a new file-sharing service called Share, which will allow users to create, organize, publish, and collaborate through web-based applications. The first step in this SAAS direction was their purchase of Virtual Ubiquity and its online word processor called Buzzword.

Virtual Ubiquity was based in Waltham, MA, and CEO Rick Treitman told eWeek that the plan for Buzzword was to, “build a full-featured word processor that made no sacrifice about running on the Web.” The goal with Buzzword was to work with the endless possibilities of web-based applications to create a user experience that was not only convenient, but also slick-looking. As Treitman commented to eWeek, “We tried everything - Java, .NET, AJAX, and we settled on Flash.” Adobe’s popular plugin was the tool Virtual Ubiquity used to deliver an interactive, real-time word processor that delivered a uniquely “online” experience.

With Adobe’s acquisition of Buzzword, the site was launched to critical acclaim. Buzzword feels more professional than Google Docs, allowing users to create documents which incorporate graphics and images for a business presentation, a poster, or an advertisement. Like Docs, Buzzword allows you to share and collaborate on documents without using attachments, which solves the problem of multiple versions. Users can specify the level of access to any document, allowing one colleague to become a co-editor while limiting another to read-only privileges. Any collaborator can add comments to a sidebar, allowing the team to suggest changes without making them permanent. The Share service will also give users 1 GB of free storage online.

Aside from the sleek design typical of Adobe products, the Flash-based word processor boasts a powerful “help” system to assist those of us who are slow to learn new applications. In addition to pop-up prompts that provide keyboard commands, Buzzword has a great help center accessible from a drop-down menu at the top of every document. And when an action fails (like pasting an image from the clipboard) the user is immediately notified as to why it happened and how to fix it. In addition to the hand-holding for new users, the online word processor is open to comments and discussions from the community. Buzzword’s discussion forum provides a place for users to get together for problem solving, and also features a virtual “suggestion box” for improving the service. Many user questions are answered by the big wigs at Virtual Ubiquity/Adobe itself, which adds to the sense of community.

Buzzword is especially useful for documents containing images, tables, or graphics, as images can be dragged and dropped with text flowing automatically around them. With the expansion of the Share service, Adobe will allow developers to create mashups with their Flex applications using Flash previews of documents from Buzzword. This kind of integration and flexibility is key for any designers or developers who use online word processors, and it is a distinct advantage over Google Apps, which does not have the software to compliment their SAAS offerings.

However, in my exploration of Buzzword I have noticed several problems that are reflected in the user discussion forums. First things first: it takes a while to load. Granted, Flash pieces are nice visually, but they can sometimes get in the way of a good user experience. Buzzword can sometimes take as much as 15 seconds to get going, which could be a turnoff to impatient users. As a writer, I rely on a solid thesaurus, which is not built-in to Buzzword. This feature is in the works, though not in the near future.

As an editor, I also love being able to open two documents side by side (in tabs within the same browser window). Buzzword does not allow you have multiple documents open at the same time in the same window, which is essential in some business settings. Also, perhaps the biggest barrier to successful competition with Google and Microsoft is the lack of spreadsheet or presentation apps. Adobe is not likely to overlook these functions for long, as it is an often requested feature on their discussion forum. For now, though, Buzzword looks like it will be the main focus of their SAAS efforts.

Buzzword is currently free, though industry experts predict that a premium service of some sort will develop with the expansion of the Share service. Overall, Buzzword is a solid product and good tool for Adobe to test the SAAS waters. The interface is friendly and attractive, and it’s likely to appeal to a more enterprise/developer audience than Google Apps. As the product continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how Adobe positions itself in this emerging world of online document creation, sharing, and storage.

For more information or to sign up for Buzzword, visit www.buzzword.com.

Thursday, February 21st, 2008 You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

By Haley January Eckels