When our customers consider their Social Mix – the particular mix of marketing channels to which they extend community – they naturally think of their Web sites, Facebook and other social media, and mobile platforms. We think they should add the desktop to that list, and there are lots of terrific reasons for doing so.

Our SDKs for Objective-C, .Net and Java make it easy to bring Pluck community to the desktop. Any traditional desktop application could have integrated social features, but the most exciting possibilities for brands lie with Adobe Air apps powered by the Pluck SDK for JavaScript.

For those unfamiliar, Adobe Air is a cross-platform environment that lets Web developers extend their reach onto the desktop using the HTML, Flash, CSS and JavaScript skills they already have. But unlike Web sites, these applications have privileged access to computer resources usually unavailable to browser-based apps. Prominent examples of Air apps include TweetDeck and Pandora.

Consider a newspaper like USA Today or the San Francisco Chronicle. Air apps can run in the background, so imagine a desktop app that unobtrusively notifies your reader when someone replies to their comment, or lets them know that a review they've written has been recommended. It can tell them when a friend comments on a story they might not have seen, or using Pluck discovery features, it can display teasers for the hottest content. This drives increased and more immediate community participation, and ultimately more page views.

Is there a new poll on NFL.com? Has someone trashed your favorite team? With a desktop app, your superfans can know in less time than it takes to refresh a browser, with links in the app to take them directly back into the discussion.

But we don't stop there. We think the desktop possibilities are even more intriguing than this. Consider a program with a notoriously steep learning curve, like Adobe Photoshop. Now, imagine if that program had a forum built right into the interface. Open the history palette and context-sensitive, "most helpful" user-generated tips appear. Open a collaboration palette, and instantly publish your work to social networks and collaborate live with friends.

Or how about launching the popular DJ program Mixx you just got on Apple's Mac App store and finding in-app discussions, preselected by the type of music you like to spin.

Pluck's APIs can power all of this and just about anything else you can dream up. Our SDKs and code sample library make programming easy using the languages your developers already know and love. And our dedicated services teams can expertly guide you through the whole process.

Extending your social mix onto Facebook, phones and tablets is important, but having a truly integrated social solution means bringing those assets to bear everywhere it has impact for your business. We're excited by the prospect of bringing seamless social features to the desktop. Wherever your imagination takes you, we can meet you there!