Adobe Systems today announced the public beta of Adobe Flex 3 software, the cross platform, free open source framework for creating rich Internet applications (RIAs). This major functional release adds rich new UI capabilities, enhanced developer productivity, desktop deployment and enterprise testing and performance tools. The Flex 3 public beta also marks the first significant deliverable for the open source Flex project, beginning with the availability of nightly builds and a public bug database. Flex 3 gives developers the power to extend the reach of their RIAs beyond the browser to the desktop using the new Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR), formerly code-named Apollo. Using the new Flex Builder 3 and Adobe AIR software, now developers can create more engaging, higher-performing applications that run both in the browser and on the desktop. The release of open source Flex under the Mozilla Public License will occur in conjunction with the final release of Flex 3, currently scheduled for the second half of 2007.