Web-Dev Software

The Web is undergoing a transition. We are beginning to see content rich Web sites that can be delivered in their full glory over dial-up lines begin to happen. We are also seeing online B2C commerce pick up. Web development tools have also acquired the maturity that is required to deliver all this. Web development has ceased being the domain of HTML editors and script kiddies.

We are seeing a transition in this category this year, from a coding tool to a graphics tool. For the last few years, Java has been the winner in this category. This year, we are seeing a dramatic change over to Macromedia DreamWeaver MX and a clutch of graphics’ products. Note that these products also support extensive coding! Since this is the first year of transition, we have not combined the votes received by all Macromedia products into one, but have retained individual product votes.

DreamWeaver MX wins in this category, followed closely by Flash MX, another product from Macromedia. In fact, the two are fairly close to each other in popularity, with Flash MX getting a UPI of 91%, as compared to DreamWeaver’s 100. At number three and four positions are Adobe LiveMotion at 60% UPI and WebObjects at 31% UPI. At number five is another Macromedia product, Director MX with a UPI of 29%.

While DreamWeaver MX is strongest in the North, Flash MX is equally strong in the North, South and West zones. In terms of the products’ popularity in companies, more companies with an IT spend of over Rs one crore voted for DreamWeaver MX and companies with a spend of Rs 50 lakh and Rs one crore voted for Flash

MX.

Both brands got most votes from software-development houses, though DreamWeaver MX got more votes than Flash

MX.

The major reasons for buying either product are the same: good-quality products, well-known brands and recommendations by others.

That brings us to brand loyalty. The data here seems to suggest that even though the majority of current users are loyal to both DreamWeaver MX and Flash MX, 25% of the former’s users and 16% of the latter’s are willing to move to other products.

Note that the shift here is not happening between the two Macromedia products.