Apple Acquires Video Asset Management Software

[MacRumors]

Apple has acquired Proximity's technology and intellectual property. Proximity is the maker of Artbox workgroup and Artbox enterprise video asset management software.

We are pleased to announce that all Proximity technology and intellectual property, including artbox workgroup and artbox enterprise, was recently acquired by Apple.

Both pieces of software feature integration with Final Cut Pro and can work with Apple's high-end storage area network XSan. Whether Apple will simply re-brand the solutions and market them as a self-contained product or bundle them as part of a forthcoming version of Final Cut Pro remains to be seen.

[Asar]

nice. this is a good thing.

[daveyjokes]

indeed this is a good thing, especially for pro users i would imagine?

[spicyapple]

Apple is going after Avid marketshare. Oh, this will be interesting for NAB 2007.

Will it be integrated into Final Cut Pro itself? Tune back tomorrow for all the latest developments...

Previous stories included the Silicon Touch acquisition and rumours of FCP Extreme that didn't quite materialize this year.

[P-Worm]

It seems like a growing trend for Apple to purchase 'features' to Final Cut Pro or to buy entire programs altogether. If I remember correctly, Shake was a standalone program and then Apple bought it and made it integrate tighter with Final Cut Pro.

I guess the biggest question here is if this is going to be a tighter integration or a new feature. I'm not familiar with artbox. I'll have to look into what makes sense.

P-Worm

[longofest]

Originally Posted by P-Worm

It seems like a growing trend for Apple to purchase 'features' to Final Cut Pro or to buy entire programs altogether. If I remember correctly, Shake was a standalone program and then Apple bought it and made it integrate tighter with Final Cut Pro.

I guess the biggest question here is if this is going to be a tighter integration or a new feature. I'm not familiar with artbox. I'll have to look into what makes sense.

P-Worm

buying code is something that happens all the time. You are correct about Shake, and remember that Coverflow from iTunes was bought off of someone else. And of course, Final Cut Pro itself was originally a Macromedia product, although that was so long ago that I don't know if it counts...

Logic too... remember eMagic?

[unsunder]

Originally Posted by P-Worm

It seems like a growing trend for Apple to purchase 'features' to Final Cut Pro or to buy entire programs altogether. If I remember correctly, Shake was a standalone program and then Apple bought it and made it integrate tighter with Final Cut Pro.

I guess the biggest question here is if this is going to be a tighter integration or a new feature. I'm not familiar with artbox. I'll have to look into what makes sense.

P-Worm

This is true. Final Cut Pro, iMovie, iDvd and Dvd Studio Pro were all purchased and rebranded from other developers. Possibly iTunes and Iphoto too.

[jholzner]

I have a feeling the next version of FCP is going to be huge and the Avid killer people have been waiting for. Between this purchase and the color correction company they purchased a few months back it's already set to be big.

http://www.macnn.com/articles/06/10/...silicon.color/

[BlueRevolution]

Originally Posted by longofest

buying code is something that happens all the time. You are correct about Shake, and remember that Coverflow from iTunes was bought off of someone else. And of course, Final Cut Pro itself was originally a Macromedia product, although that was so long ago that I don't know if it counts...

Logic too... remember eMagic?

Yeah, except Coverflow worked better before Apple made it part of iTunes. Oh well, I won't be using either until it becomes part of Front Row.

As for Artbox, are we talking about Aperture for videos here? If so, I'd say it would probably be standalone, but don't quote me on that. Either way, it'll be bundled with FCS, so it's a moot point.

[Kirkmedia]

Originally Posted by jholzner

I have a feeling the next version of FCP is going to be huge and the Avid killer people have been waiting for. Between this purchase and the color correction company they purchased a few months back it's already set to be big.

http://www.macnn.com/articles/06/10/...silicon.color/

I am definitly a Mac Fanboy, and FCP booster. However, I still see mostly
avids at the big studios and large TV networks. Whether, Media Composer, Adrenalin, or DV, Avids are everywhere.
FCP has a long way to go.

And with the arrival of the intel processors, I think avid will migrate back to
the mac from pc. FCP will gain ground, but if Avid migrates back to the Mac
all bets are off.

[darwen]

Yay for more free stuff in Final Cut 6! Does anyone know what this software actually does? I am to lazy to look it up.

[lyzardking]

Looks like a high end cataloging SW, their site is painfully slow. A light version would be welcomed (kinda like iPhoto), Portfolio is a PIA and I'd drop it in a minute for something works well.

Originally Posted by unsunder

This is true. Final Cut Pro, iMovie, iDvd and Dvd Studio Pro were all purchased and rebranded from other developers. Possibly iTunes and Iphoto too.

iTunes was bought from Casady & Greene (SoundJam MP)

[AmbitiousLemon]

Originally Posted by unsunder

Possibly iTunes and Iphoto too.

iTunes is the rebranded version of SoundJam. Apple originally went after Audion (the superior mp3 player at the time), but it didn't work out so they bought the competitor, SoundJam.

[darwen]

Originally Posted by longofest

And of course, Final Cut Pro itself was originally a Macromedia product, although that was so long ago that I don't know if it counts...

Really? I had no idea. Well that is a little ironic now. I never really understood why macromedia was missing the whole video application. Although, I typically do not enjoy their software layout and figured any video application they created would be difficult to use (which is a personal discrepancy and totally off topic). I am a little shocked to hear they designed Final Cut!

Anyway, that is a little ironic as they were bought out by Adobe. In my opinion Adobe has been Final Cut's biggest competitor for years. As far as price points, I believe they are the closest. In my mind I see Avid as a bigger target for Apple but to the average prosumer it is Final Cut or Premier (I think that is the wrong spelling, I can never get the right version of the word... whatever).

EDIT: On second thought, I realize I have a lot of generalizations here but I think my point is still valid.

[Multimedia]

Video Asset Management Software is a great addition to the mix for NAB 2007.

Apple bought the entire FCP development team from Macromedia just months before Macromedia was going to release it including a $1 Million check to the original inventor of FCP on that team who still leads it today as an Apple employee.

[twoodcc]

Originally Posted by Asar

nice. this is a good thing.

i think so also. Go Apple!

[bigandy]

Originally Posted by darwen

Yay for more free stuff in Final Cut 6! Does anyone know what this software actually does? I am to lazy to look it up.

Ummm, 'free stuff'? You realise how much FCS costs?


i think this is a very good thing. i hope it comes with FCS 6, but depending on the cost of the IP & Tech to Apple, it may well be a separate application...

[bigbossbmb]

This will hopefully fix one of the biggest gripes that major editors have with FCP. Asset Management is always at the top concern of reviewers when comparing FCP to Avid.

[Moof1904]

Originally Posted by darwen

Really? I had no idea. Well that is a little ironic now. I never really understood why macromedia was missing the whole video application. Although, I typically do not enjoy their software layout and figured any video application they created would be difficult to use (which is a personal discrepancy and totally off topic). I am a little shocked to hear they designed Final Cut!

Not to hijack the thread too badly...

I was a Macromedia employee during the entire Final Cut development cycle (though I was on a different team). It was code named "Key Grip" during the development. The team working on Key Grip was very dedicated and wanted to create a 1.0 that was a serions contender in the marketplace. This desire for a quality product and perhaps some other factors that I wan't privvy to, caused the product to keep slipping and miss release date after release date. There was considerable good-natured ribbing within Macromedia's ranks about the Key Grip team's inability to deliver the product on time.

About this time, the new president of Macromedia, Rob Burgess, was refining the focus of the company away from the "we're a multimedia company" and was driving it straight into the "Macromedia is a web company" direction. As a result of this refocusing, Macromedia products that weren't strongly web-centric were either feature enhanced to be more so, killed, or sold. (For example, a bunch of features were shoveled into FreeHand to make it play nicer with Flash and there was a tepid effort to market FreeHand as a "author once; publish anywhere" tool for a web designer.) This refocusing all dovetailed nicely with Apple's desire to move into video and I don't recall exactly when, but the entire Key Grip code base (and virtually all of the development team) was sold to Apple.

[NaMo4184]

All the software that Apple buys usually comes with engineers too. If you think about it, it makes sense. The guys who make these kinds of projects are specialized in their skill sets. So by buying these engineers they are actually expanding Apple capability. Very good idea indeed.

[darwen]

Originally Posted by Moof1904

Not to hijack the thread too badly...

I was a Macromedia employee during the entire Final Cut development cycle (though I was on a different team). It was code named "Key Grip" during the development. The team working on Key Grip was very dedicated and wanted to create a 1.0 that was a serions contender in the marketplace. This desire for a quality product and perhaps some other factors that I wan't privvy to, caused the product to keep slipping and miss release date after release date. There was considerable good-natured ribbing within Macromedia's ranks about the Key Grip team's inability to deliver the product on time.

About this time, the new president of Macromedia, Rob Burgess, was refining the focus of the company away from the "we're a multimedia company" and was driving it straight into the "Macromedia is a web company" direction. As a result of this refocusing, Macromedia products that weren't strongly web-centric were either feature enhanced to be more so, killed, or sold. (For example, a bunch of features were shoveled into FreeHand to make it play nicer with Flash and there was a tepid effort to market FreeHand as a "author once; publish anywhere" tool for a web designer.) This refocusing all dovetailed nicely with Apple's desire to move into video and I don't recall exactly when, but the entire Key Grip code base (and virtually all of the development team) was sold to Apple.

Wow. Also very interesting. I think that is why I have never really liked Macromedia, most of the software revolves around creating elements for flash or creating content for the internet. I create graphics and video for broadcast/DVD portfolio, and not necessarily web content. I have found the software restricting in many aspects when it comes to creating 'art' on my computer. For example, fireworks does not adequately replace photoshop. I understand the programs have different purposes but I believe at heart they are driven on the same concept. I guess it is local broadcast vs internet broadcast that is tripping me up. Apparently the new CEO did not make all of this obvious enough.

Now that we have completely hijacked this topic I should probably stop discussing this. Sorry to go off topic, I just found all of this very interesting.

[darwen]

Originally Posted by bigandy

Ummm, 'free stuff'? You realise how much FCS costs?


i think this is a very good thing. i hope it comes with FCS 6, but depending on the cost of the IP & Tech to Apple, it may well be a separate application...

If you remember back when Cinema Tools was thrown in with Final Cut, the price did not go up as a result. I would consider that free stuff. Sure, Final Cut Studio is expensive but I doubt very much Apple will raise the cost of FCS because of this addition. Things like Peak Audio and Boris are thrown in at a no additional cost. I am pretty sure this will be a similar case. Maybe not in the stand alone FC 6 version (if they make one), but FCS 6 will probably have these elements embedded for the same price as the current FCS.

[xtbfx]

Originally Posted by AmbitiousLemon

iTunes is the rebranded version of SoundJam. Apple originally went after Audion (the superior mp3 player at the time), but it didn't work out so they bought the competitor, SoundJam.

I still have the box and CD for SoundJam. That sure was a while back. lol

[sartinsauce]

Originally Posted by Kirkmedia

I am definitly a Mac Fanboy, and FCP booster. However, I still see mostly
avids at the big studios and large TV networks. Whether, Media Composer, Adrenalin, or DV, Avids are everywhere.
FCP has a long way to go.

True, for now. Apple has placed itself in a position to really come up over the next several years. Their strategy has beeen to make a powerful and inexpensive product, then make it readily available for the education sector. These days, the kids coming up look at Avids as their father's toy. They think it's rigid and 'old school' to use the vernacular. All these kids started cutting on FCP in junior high or high school. Five years from now, when these kids are a large part of the workforce, where will Avid be?

Originally Posted by Kirkmedia

with the arrival of the intel processors, I think avid will migrate back to
the mac from pc. FCP will gain ground, but if Avid migrates back to the Mac
all bets are off.

Is Avid even offfering a Universal version of any of their software yet? I haven't been able to find anything. The closest I've found is a quote that says something vague like: "coming soon."

[sivancotel]

Originally Posted by lyzardking

Looks like a high end cataloging SW, their site is painfully slow.

probably slow because of insane web traffic due to apple's announcement! (awesome.)