Thad McIlroy - The Future of Publishing

  Report captures the big picture of this deal and its even larger implications; features interviews with key customers as well as Adobe and Omniture executives. Pre-release pricing announced.

October 6, 2009 12:00 am, PDT

(San Francisco, Vancouver) - The Future of Publishing (www.thefutureofpublishing.com), the top web site monitoring every aspect of digital publishing and where it is headed, today announced the pending publication on October 12, 2009 of the first authoritative, in-depth research report analyzing the proposed Adobe Systems acquisition of Omniture, the industry's leading web analytics firm.

The report goes beyond the specifics of the deal to address the wider implications, which include its impact on the adoption of web analytics, the challenge of bringing marketing and design functions together so tightly, and the potentially troubling increased threat to privacy on the Web.

The deal, announced September 15^th, providing some balance to the announcement of another disappointing financial quarter from Adobe, revealed that the company (ADBE) proposes to pay $1.8 billion in cash for all outstanding shares of Omniture (OMTR), 24% above Omniture's closing price and 94% above where the stock was trading just three months ago.

Titled "Adobe's Designs on Web Analytics: The Omniture Acquisition," the report digs behind the headlines and early reactions in the media and the blogosphere. It examines everything from the financial position of each firm to the full rationale for the acquisition.

While the current media coverage is summarized as background, highlights include a wealth of new material drawn from interviews with top corporate personnel at each firm, along with customers, analysts, partners and the competition. This is the first report to gauge customer reactions to the acquisition: Are they in favor or opposed to the deal? What benefits do they see? What are their concerns?

According to Thad McIlroy, the report's main author and the publisher at The Future of Publishing, "After weeks of debate and speculation, this report will fill in the blanks. How likely is it that the deal will deliver on the benefits promised by the two firms? What are the financial implications for each?" What does it presage for the future of digital media?

"I feel confident that The Future of Publishing team has got a fix on the upside of the deal. At the same time we've analyzed the possible negative implications and these are fully discussed in the report. I believe that we'll be providing 360 degree optics."

"Adobe's Designs on Web Analytics: The Omniture Acquisition" is offered this week at a prepublication price of $75. (Details are available here.)

Upon publication on October 12^th it will be offered as a PDF file for download for $95 from www.thefutureofpublishing.com. Included is a unique offer: each purchaser will automatically receive without charge an update in 60 days that will highlight key developments since this report was first published, and feature informed commentary from interested parties and clarification of any factual errors.