Axure RP 7 was one of the most significant product releases we've had to date. It reminded me a lot of Version 2, which was released in late 2003. In Version 2, we switched from an HTML-based editor to a diagram editor and laid the foundation for prototype generation. We were able to build upon Version 2 for the following 10 years to add milestones such as the dynamic panel, conditional logic, and shared projects. In Axure RP 7, we completely rearchitected the generated HTML with an eye towards the next 10 years of software and user experience design.
We've been lucky to work with thousands of customers over the years and listen to tens of thousands of feature requests and inquiries. Every request is tracked, reviewed, and categorized. It's been interesting to see patterns naturally emerge after each release, and this has helped us prioritize areas of focus for future releases. Our customers have given us a unique view into how many organizations are doing software design and development, and it's clear that user experience design has never been more important.
It's essential to be able to test and iterate quickly on ideas early in the design process. Once these ideas solidify, being able to truly experience the design as a designer, stakeholder, or user can be invaluable. I think Axure RP 7 takes a solid step forward in accomplishing these goals. The Shape widget in Axure RP 7 supports 17 events compared to only three events in Version 6.5. There is a new Repeater widget that is data-driven and supports sorting and filtering. We introduced Adaptive Views to apply different styles, positions, and sizes to the widgets based on the browser size.
AxShare has also been upgraded to give designers and developers much more flexibility. It is now possible to add custom JavaScript and HTML into hosted projects. This opens the door to hand-coded interactions and custom elements. It also makes it possible to integrate third-party solutions such as analytics and user testing. You can also assign a custom domain directly to a project.
There are currently over 80,000 licensed Axure RP customers, and we expect to reach over 100,000 this year. It's a great feeling when you can count people like Elizabeth and Ezra as customers and advocates. They are true leaders in the user experience and Axure communities. With the help of customers like them, we're confident the best is ahead.
Victor Hsu
Cofounder, Axure