Since launching at Web 2.0 Expo LaunchPad and also winning the competition back in 2009, Vancouver-based Nitobi Software has quickly grown their PhoneGap app to a point where it has been downloaded over 300,000 times. PhoneGap, an open source development tool allows for fast, easy, cross-platform mobile apps with HTML and JavaScript. Today at its MAX 2011 technology conference, Adobe announced it has acquired Nitobi and all of its current staff.
“Adobe has always been a big supporter of the open source community and at the forefront of enabling rich, Web based applications across screens,” said Andre Charland, chief executive officer, Nitobi. “We share the same philosophy about enabling extraordinary mobile and Web applications. Becoming part of the Adobe family with its industry-leading tools and technologies opens up amazing new opportunities for PhoneGap and our customers.”
“We are also excited to announce our donation of the PhoneGap code to the Apache Software Foundation,” said Dave Johnson, Chief Technology Officer, Nitobi. “Adobe has been fully supportive of our decision, further demonstrating Adobe’s continued commitment to the developer and open source communities. The Apache Software Foundation’s model makes it possible for contributors to collaborate on open source product development and Adobe and Nitobi look forward to engaging with other community members to advance the PhoneGap technology.”
The acquisition is subject to certain closing conditions and is expected to close by the end of October 2011. Terms were not disclosed.