Adobe to Implement Scheduled Patches

Following in the footsteps of Microsoft, Adobe said this week that it plans to adopt a monthly schedule for releasing patches to its products, including the newly-acquired Macromedia line. Adrian Ludwig, manager of Adobe's security software engineering said customers don't want to be surprised.

The moves come after a spate of security holes in Flash prompted Macromedia to urge customers to install version 8. The patch schedule will cover all of Adobe's products, including the popular Adobe Reader, and begin within the next six months. Also like Microsoft, Adobe will provide advanced notification of each month's fixes.