Google to distribute its toolbar via Adobe software

Mountain View (CA) - Adobe today said that it has signed a "multi-year distribution agreement" for the search engine’s "Toolbar". Initially, the Google Toolbar will only be part of the download package of Adobe’s Macromedia Shockwave Player ; other Adobe Products will carry the Google software in the future.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. However, it was reported in several media that Google will be paying Adobe a "substantial sum" in exchange for the help in distributing its software. Adobe said that the Google deal was factored into its fiscal 2006 financial targets provided on 15 June 2006 : The company in fact lowered its revenue target from originally $2.7 billion to a range of $2.56 to $2.60 billion.

Adobe did not provide numbers how often the Shockwave Player is typically downloaded per month, but mentioned that that total downloads to date exceed the 200 million mark ; the firm claims that the software is installed on more than 55% of all "Internet-enabled desktops."