'Architects' to help redesign Adobe's future

Adobe Systems is restructuring its software organization.

On Tuesday, the document software company announced that it is folding its Advanced Technology Group into the new Office of Technology. Adobe also named two chief software architects to spearhead its efforts in digital imaging, graphics and documentation.

Greg Gilley will be charged with centralizing an array of imaging, video and design projects into a new graphics and publishing organization, with an eye to both creative professional and consumer markets. Tom Malloy, who has headed the erstwhile technology group for nine years, will oversee the company's Intelligent Documents business, rooted in Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) software.

The software maker, based in San Jose, Calif., is known for its PDF applications, widely used for distributing documents electronically and which the company now wants to expand into a multiplatform foundation for viewing and sharing corporate data. That expansion, however, brings with it the risk of more direct competition with Microsoft.

At the same time, Adobe has been increasing its reliance on Microsoft's Windows as a publishing platform. Its relationship with longtime partner Apple Computer has been chilly in recent months, with Adobe dropping Macintosh support for several products and Apple quietly pushing Adobe out of a few markets.

Both Gilley and Malloy will work on external technology alliances in addition to leading internal development efforts, the company said in a statement.