Waltham, MA (February 1, 2002) – If approved, Adobe’s acquisition of Accelio Corp. would represent the biggest reshaping of the electronic forms market since 1996, when Accelio (then known as JetForm) acquired from Symantec all the assets related to Delrina FormFlow, then its largest competitor. According to Steve Weissman, president of analyst firm Kinetic Information, “putting the two companies together clearly alters the market’s balance of power and raises a number questions about the future look of the competitive landscape.”

Weissman noted that “Accelio and Adobe both are very strong players in e-forms, Accelio by its long tenure and historical leadership, and Adobe via its relationship with Cardiff. Combining them would significantly change the rules for several companies starting with Cardiff itself, which has used its Adobe connections to particularly great effect.” Other affected parties include the numerous smaller firms in the e-forms arena, which Weissman believes will have to forge meaningful ties of their own to bigger companies in order to survive.

Weissman expects Adobe’s move to signal the emergence of a new strategy for the company’s Acrobat technology, which Adobe has long sought to establish as a key component of mainstream business solutions in the way it has become indispensable to many graphic arts applications. “There’s nothing more central to business operations than filling and routing forms,” he commented, “and acquiring Accelio instantly and directly puts Adobe on that particular map.”

Kinetic Information pegs the market for forms/workflow technology at $2.8 billion in 2001 and expects it to reach $7.3 billion by 2004.

ABOUT KINETIC INFORMATION 
Kinetic Information is a business intelligence organization specializing in the sale and use of information technology. A leading market prognosticator and strategist, the firm combines field research and academic model-building to support high-value analysis that is centered on technology’s ability to solve customer business problems. Additional information is available on the Web at www.kineticinfo.com or by calling Steve Weissman at 781.893.4690.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kinetic Information 
Steve Weissman, 781.893.4690 
[email protected]