Web development software maker Macromedia Inc. said on Thursday it acquired Presedia, a privately held company that sells a tool to convert PowerPoint presentations into Macromedia Flash presentations for easy online distribution. The takeover of Presedia of Sunnyvale, California, expands Macromedia"s offerings in the online presentation and electronic learning area, Macromedia of San Francisco said. Presedia, founded in 1999, has about 60 customers including Wells Fargo and Sprint. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Presedia"s product, called Express, allows users to add narration to a PowerPoint presentation and combine the two in a streaming application based on the Flash format, Macromedia said. Flash files can be played in a Web browser using the widely installed free Flash player. The online presentations created with Express can also contain animations, quizzes, and surveys. The system tracks and reports the results and can be linked to electronic learning management systems, Macromedia said.
Macromedia will immediately sell and support Express. The application is available a hosted service priced at $12,500 per year for 100 users, as well as a licensed product for installation on a customer"s own network. Macromedia will take on all Presedia staff, it said.