Adobe's development tools for rich Internet applications (RIAs) were officially released today.

AIR allows developers to create RIAs using the tools and languages they already are familiar with, such as HTML, Flash/Flex and JavaScript. These applications run in a browser, so they have the advantages of easy deployment and maintenance (since they're server-based) and accessibility (anywhere there's a browser and an Internet connection). But they also have additional benefits most web-based applications don't have, including the ability to read and write local files and interact with existing desktop applications.

Flex is a framework for developing RIAs. The SDK for Flex is freely downloadable, and Flex is now open source with version 3. Adobe has a commercial product to assist with Flex development called Flex Builder 3 which retails for $249.00 from the Adobe Store. According to Adobe, Flex Builder 3 works with other Adobe Creative Suite applications such as Dreamweaver, Illustrator and Flash to create a comprehensive AIR/Flex development environment.

What do today's developments at Adobe mean for open source CMS developers? With their flexibility and ability to be easily extended with modules and add-ons, open source CMS platforms like Joomla! and Drupal are also CMFs - content management frameworks. The websites we develop using these tools are just one of the many uses of their base functionality. You can create a rich Internet application using these open source CMS platforms. There are many examples of rich, complex, interactive websites created that way, including The Onion (Drupal), National Lampoon (Joomla!), FastCompany.com (Drupal), MTV-Netherlands (Joomla!), and Amnesty International (Drupal).

So where does Flex fit in this picture? Is it another commercial CMF/CMS like Microsoft's SharePoint? Will its open source status make it appealing to those currently doing that type of development with Joomla! or Drupal's tools? Or will we see an integration of Flex into the existing open source CMS platforms. There are groups and individual developers already starting to discuss the possibilities, but I'm curious how you see this developing in the next year. Leave your thoughts in the comments, please.