Aug. 25--Hoping to capture more customers online, Adobe Systems today is unveiling updated versions of its desktop photo and video editing products, combined with a sharing and storage service that users can access on the Web.

Photoshop Elements 7, the latest version of Adobe's desktop photo software for hobbyists, will include membership in an online service called Photoshop.com. The company is introducing a similar package for Premiere Elements, its software for digital video editing.

Several companies such as Flickr,Snapfish and Shutterfly already offer photo storage, printing and display services on the Web; some also provide online editing tools. Adobe, which launched its Web offering in a free beta version this spring, is hoping its latest release will entice shutterbugs by offering them new features and a seamless link between its established desktop tools and an expanded online service.

It's a crowded field, acknowledged Mala Sharma, director of consumer and hosted solutions at San Jose-based Adobe. But she said, "Customers want a trusted source. People want all these disparate elements pulled together."

Analysts say the company recognizes it needs to get on the bandwagon of "cloud-based" or online services if it wants to maintain the popularity of its consumer software.

Similarly, when Adobe announced the newest version of its Acrobat document software in June, it

also unveiled a companion service called "Acrobat.com" that allows users to create and store documents and collaborate with others online.

Elements 7 has new tools for categorizing and organizing photos, and for effects such as whitening teeth or removing people from a picture. It also has internal links to Photoshop.com., where users can back up their photos on Adobe's servers, display them for friends, get online tutorials and access or transfer photos from a cellphone.

Sharma said Adobe will continue to offer a free Web service with basic online editing tools and storage. Customers who pay $99 for Elements 7 will get more extensive tools for their PC and have the option of using additional online services with a free Photoshop.com. account. For another $50 a year, they can get a premium account with more online storage and other features that the company plans to update regularly.

Contact Brandon Bailey at bbailey@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5022.

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