Adobe buys web platform firm

Adobe has bought Business Catalyst, which provides a platform for web professionals to build online businesses. The deal also includes Business Catalyst's GoodBarry subsidiary.

Business Catalyst offers an all-in-one website platform for web professionals to build online businesses for clients at a fraction of the time and cost, without requiring any programming, said Adobe. GoodBarry, meanwhile, features an integrated system for running websites and offers e-mail marketing. 

"There are some changes we'll be making to GoodBarry in the coming months," according to the GoodBarry site. "Most importantly, we'll be refocusing our marketing and sales efforts on the web professional market, as opposed to web-savvy DIYers such as you. In other words, this means that eventually we will cease 'retail' operations and focus on our wholesale operations and we will only be selling subscriptions to our software via our partner and reseller network."

The site also says GoodBarry soon will be only for web designers. The GoodBarry brand will be shut down on 1 October.

"You'll be able to create free trials until 1 October 2009, and you'll be able to upgrade those sites until 1 November 2009. After that date, no sites will be able to be upgraded via GoodBarry," the site states.

The current Business Catalyst team is expected to remain largely intact at Adobe, Business Catalyst said. The company also expressed a continued commitment to partners and customers. Adobe did not provide information on the cost of the acquisition.