Macromedia was an American graphics and web-development software company founded in 1992 and headquartered in San Francisco. It built several of the defining tools of the early web, including Flash, Dreamweaver, and ColdFusion.
Macromedia formed from the merger of Authorware and MacroMind-Paracomp and grew through the 1990s and early 2000s into a leader in interactive and web design. Flash became the dominant platform for animation, games, and video on the web; Dreamweaver a leading visual tool for building websites; and Fireworks, Director, and Shockwave rounded out a suite aimed at designers and developers moving onto the internet. The company operated independently until 2005, when it was acquired and merged into a larger design-software portfolio.
We acquired Macromedia in 2005 for roughly $3.4 billion — one of the largest deals in our history — bringing Flash, Dreamweaver, and ColdFusion into our lineup. It reshaped how we approached the web and interactive media for years afterward.