Macromedia (today announced the immediate availability of Macromedia Captivate, which enables anyone to easily record onscreen activity and create software demonstrations and interactive simulations. Demonstrations visually show the steps required to complete a task, instead of forcing users to learn by reading step-by-step, text-based instructions. Simulations provide an interactive learning experience that requires user input. Both content types can be automatically created with Captivate, and can include audio, animation, and scored interaction. Macromedia Captivate is available for immediate purchase from the Macromedia Online Store at http://www.macromedia.com/go/getcaptivate.

Captivate goes beyond basic screen recording by letting users create customizable software simulations with scored interactivity and instructional feedback. The simulations and demonstrations can also be easily edited, which increases the productivity of content creators and training organizations. Captivate automatically delivers engaging Macromedia Flash content that can be immediately viewed by more than a half billion web users.

With Captivate, trainers and teachers can provide a hands-on experience for learners by building interactive simulations that don’t require programming or multimedia skills to develop. Support representatives can enhance customer satisfaction and reduce costs by delivering visual tutorials 24/7. Marketing and sales professionals can enrich the customer experiences they deliver through high-quality, low-bandwidth product demonstrations. Used in combination with Macromedia Breeze, Captivate provides a robust technology solution to bring understanding and retention to the end users of rapid training and e-learning solutions.

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

Macromedia Captivate is available for download worldwide today in English. Pricing is $299 for upgrades from RoboDemo versions 4.x and 5.x, and $499 for new users. Volume discounts and government and education licensing are also available. Localized versions for French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Traditional Chinese are expected to ship later this year.