Macromedia forms government group

Macromedia Inc. has formed a new group to focus on government sales and is creating several bundles of its software titles intended to address agencies' needs.

The provider of several popular Web publishing technologies announced the new group today.

"We've been working with the government agencies for the past several years and watching how they use our products," said Juliana Slye, government industry manager at Macromedia.

The pre-packaged bundles are intended to address issues that agencies commonly face in developing Web sites and online applications, spokesman Paul Madar said. "The technology has been proven, it's been out there for a while," he said. "What's new is being able to package it this way.

The new bundles are built on core Macromedia products, including Macromedia ColdFusion MX, Macromedia Contribute 2, and Macromedia Studio MX 2004. They include:

* Solution for Simplifying Web Updates: Tools to update content on Web sites.

* Solution for Policy Compliant Websites: Tools to help Web developers follow federal policies for accessibility, privacy and other considerations.

The company plans to release more special packages, centered around training, over the next several months, Slye said.