Who is Macromedia?

Macromedia's mission is to add life to the Web. By providing its award-winning Web Publishing, Web Entertainment, and Web Learning solutions to Web designers, consumers, and the enterprise, Macromedia is delivering a completely new generation of Internet solutions and technologies designed to transform the Web experience. Headquartered in San Francisco, Macromedia has more than 500 employees worldwide and is available on the Internet at http://www.macromedia.com.

Who is Elemental Software?

Elemental Software, a privately-held company based in Carlsbad, California, develops and markets software that enables users to build the advanced Web applications that meet today's requirements for e-business solutions at a fraction of the development time and expense. Elemental's products include Drumbeat 2000, Active Server Pages version, Drumbeat 2000, JavaServer Pages version, and the Drumbeat 2000 eCommerce edition.

	When did Macromedia acquire Elemental Software?
	Macromedia and Elemental signed an agreement on July 6,1999. The acquisition is expected to become effective within 45 days after signing. The closing of the acquisition is subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

Why does Macromedia intend to acquire Elemental Software?

Macromedia and Elemental Software share a common vision of creating new products that enable Web professionals to create powerful Web applications that meet the requirements for e-commerce, corporate intranets, and other dynamically generated sites. The existing Drumbeat product line supports ASP and JSP. The next generation of dynamic Web publishing software, to be developed by the new engineering team made up of Elemental and Macromedia engineers, will be extensible to support multiple server solutions.

What products comprise Elemental's product offering?

Drumbeat 2000 (ASP), the Drumbeat 2000 eCommerce edition, and the newest offering, Drumbeat 2000, JavaServer Pages version for IBM Web Sphere, all shorten the time-to-solution in building ASP- and JSP-powered Web applications. Drumbeat 2000, Elemental's premier product, is the fastest way to build Web applications powered by Active Server Pages (ASP), without manual coding. The Drumbeat 2000 eCommerce edition is the fast and flexible extension that allows you to build secure, easy-to-use online stores. Drumbeat 2000 (JSP) for IBM Web Sphere enables the fast creation of Web applications powered by JavaServer Pages without manual coding.

	When will Elemental products be available for sale through Macromedia's sales and distribution channel?
	Drumbeat 2000 and the Drumbeat 2000 eCommerce edition will continue to be sold through the existing Elemental channels for the present time. When the acquisition becomes final, Macromedia will sell these products through Macromedia's Online Store, Electronic Software Download, and through Macromedia resellers worldwide.

What are Macromedia's plans for Drumbeat?

In the future, Macromedia will build on the products that Elemental has developed to create a comprehensive solution for creating Web applications. Drumbeat 2000 (ASP), Drumbeat 2000 (JSP), and the Drumbeat 2000 eCommerce edition complement Macromedia's family of software for Web publishing and will continue to be sold and supported. Macromedia's new product team, which includes the Elemental product team, will work to define the next generation of software for dynamic Web publishing and provide an integrated solution for Web developers and designers.

	What advantage does Drumbeat offer a Dreamweaver customer?
	Currently, Drumbeat allows users to develop Web applications powered by ASP or JSP technologies that are currently only available to Dreamweaver customers through hand coding. Drumbeat provides a WYSIWYG environment for developing in ASP and JSP.

	Are there localized versions of Elemental products?
	Currently Elemental products are available in English only. Since Macromedia is committed to worldwide distribution of all its products, Macromedia will evaluate localizing the Elemental products.

Does Drumbeat compete with Dreamweaver?

No. Dreamweaver is the solution for visual HTML authoring. Partner extensions are available to extend Dreamweaver for dynamic publishing solutions, but no specific Dreamweaver partner solutions exist for ASP or JSP. Drumbeat 2000 is a WYSIWYG solution specifically designed for building ASP- and JSP-powered Web sites that connect to databases. The two products complement each other, and many customers use both products together already.

Is Drumbeat compatible with Dreamweaver?

Yes. You can open a Dreamweaver site from within Drumbeat to add the power of ASP or JSP data-driven sites, but unlike Dreamweaver, Drumbeat does not offer Roundtrip HTML or visual access to the code. By taking advantage of the strengths of both products, customers can immediately develop new e-business sites, which combine the ability to interact with company data and applications with professional design and usability.

	What does this acquisition mean to the partners who have created Dreamweaver extensions to solve dynamic publishing needs?
	Dreamweaver's extensibility and connection to third-party technologies is fundamental to our strategy. The acquisition of Drumbeat should provide additional opportunities for closer ties with our key partners.

	What is Macromedia's plan for integrating Drumbeat 2000 into the Macromedia family?
	Macromedia will continue to market and sell Drumbeat 2000 alongside its other award-winning products for Web publishing. Because true product integration is important to Macromedia, the next generation of Drumbeat 2000 will contain a greater integration between Drumbeat and Macromedia's existing products.

	Will Elemental continue to operate independently of Macromedia?
	Until the closing of the acquisition, Elemental will continue to operate as an independent entity. After the deal closes, the Drumbeat brand and products will continue as part of the Macromedia family of software, and Elemental engineering and all other roles will be rolled into Macromedia's organization.

	What happens to existing Drumbeat customers?
	Existing Drumbeat customers will be warmly welcomed into the Macromedia family. They can expect a high level of support from Macromedia during the transition, and will receive the same exceptional customer service that our current customers receive today.

	Should I wait until the deal closes to buy Drumbeat from Macromedia?
	No, until the acquisition closes, Drumbeat will continue to be sold through existing Elemental channels, including the Web site and resellers. After the deal closes, expected mid-August, all products will become part of the Macromedia product family and will be sold through Macromedia channels.