Adobe announced Monday that it is to join the Linux Foundation and release a test version of its Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) for rich Internet applications.

"Adobe's decision to join the Linux Foundation is a natural extension of its commitment to open standards and open source, which demonstrates its leadership and foresight in the software industry," Jim Zemlin, executive director at the Linux Foundation, said in a statement.

Released in February, AIR 1.0 (Adobe Integrated Runtime), is a runtime environment based on an open-source technology that constantly updates Web information based on the user’s routine and makes it accessible anytime, anywhere, without requiring a Web browser. Adobe AIR is a cross-operating system combining HTML, Ajax, Flash and Flex to bring rich Internet applications (RIAs) to the desktop.

"Adobe delivers key RIA technologies for Linux users, such as Adobe Flash Player and now Adobe AIR, to deploy RIAs in the browser and on the desktop," said David McAllister, director of standards and open source at Adobe, in a joint statement. "The Linux Foundation is a valuable resource, providing a forum where we can work with the community to ensure Adobe RIA technologies are compatible across the Linux software platform," McAllister said.

Since the release of the beta version of AIR, several organizations already adopted the technology; among them, NASDAQ Stock Market Inc, AOL, EBay and many others. According to its developers, AIR will reduce download time due to the fact that the desktop is constantly being updated while connected to the Internet.

Adobe's offerings include Flex 3, a free open source framework intended to build and maintain rich Internet applications (RIAs). Adobe Flex Builder 3 is a tool that supports RIAs deployment on Adobe AIR and comes with Adobe Creative Suite 3, improving RIAs performance. Adobe announced last month BlazeDS, an open tool intended to boost rich Internet applications.