Flash Application Software to be Taught by Leading UK University

Wolverhampton, UK October 18, 2006 — Multidmedia Limited (MDM), a UK-based software company has unveiled De Montfort University as its first official Academic Partner in the UK. The partnership will see De Montfort integrate MDM’s industry leading software, Zinc v2.5, on to the curriculum of its BSc Multimedia Computing degree course.

The Academic Partner Programme was launched following the success of MDM’s market leading product, Zinc v2.5. First released in 2004, Zinc 2.5 is a Rapid Application Development Tool for Adobe (formerly Macromedia) Flash, which is now used in over 75 Countries by Flash designers and developers. Zinc allows Flash Projects, used predominantly for Websites, to become standalone Applications which can sit on the desktop or be distributed via CD or DVD. Because of its combination of flexibility and functionality, Zinc is now being used as an alternative to more established software packages. With a growing global user base, experienced Zinc users are now being requested in job descriptions and the software itself was recently used for Point of Sale Kiosks in Bank of America branches across the US.

The MDM Academic Partner Programme was introduced earlier this year as a learning initiative to help students and tutors on Multimedia related courses. After being approached by several International Universities interested in the success and spread of Zinc, MDM’s Founder and Managing Director, Jaspal Sohal, decided it would be of a great benefit to students if first-hand practical experience and training of Zinc was combined with their current studies.

Mr Sohal said “With Zinc now becoming the industry standard in desktop development for Adobe Flash, we felt it was our responsibility to ensure students of Multimedia-related degrees were equipped with the skills required by prospective employers. We are very pleased that De Montfort University shares our vision as a forward thinking educational institute, ensuring the students are ultimately the ones who benefit.”

De Montfort is the first university to sign up as an official Academic Partner of MDM. De Montfort Faculty members and other Academic Partners will attend Introductory Zinc Training Seminars and will work with MDM staff to compile a ‘curriculum’ of features which students will be taught in the new academic semester.

Armaghan Moemeni, Programme Leader for BSc Multimedia Computing in the Faculty of Computing Sciences and Engineering, said: “Multimedia Computing students gain extensive experience of new media technologies and now they will be able to add Zinc to the diverse skills attained on the course.”

“The University is committed to providing graduates that are equipped with the complete set of relevant skills and ensuring that students are trained in the most up-to-date technologies. The partnership with MDM will play an important role in ensuring that graduates are fully prepared for dynamic careers in industry.”

Since establishing a partnership with De Montfort University, MDM have been approached by several other leading Universities from the UK and Europe, who are interested in adopting Zinc on existing undergraduate BA and BSc degrees.

About Multidmedia Limited (MDM) www.multidmedia.com
Multidmedia Limited (MDM) is a privately held software company based in the UK and is the Industry leader in Rapid Application Development Tools for Adobe Flash. The Company's innovative development software is used in over 75 Countries by designers, developers and Fortune 500 Companies.

About De Montfort University
De Montfort University is a leading institution for professional, creative and vocational education, underpinned by research excellence. The University has special arrangements with more than 80 other universities and colleges in over 25 countries. It has approximately 20,500 students, 3,240 staff, and an annual turnover in the region of £132.5 million.