Flash Enabled Mobile Devices Pass 200 Million

Adobe Press Release
02/12/07



This weeks article I took, once again, from Adobe’s Press Release. Just this past Monday Adobe announced the marker of 200 million mobile devices having flash on them. Today, more than 300 Flash enabled phones and consumer electronic devices have been manufactured, and more that 70 percent of all Flash devices now ship outside of Japan, forging new markets for Adobe. This opens up more avenues for flash developers to use. There are two types of mobile Flash programs: Adobe Flash Lite (for the consumer) and Adobe FlashCast (for the developer or client-server). With these two programs the amount of flash content will on grow. Adobe also has a new delivery service powered by FlashCast technology. They currently have 8 million subscribers to it.

The senior vice president of Mobile and Device Solutions Business Unit at Adobe said, “Japan was the early adopter of mobile Flash technology, but today it is a worldwide phenomenon with some of the hottest mobile devices. Adobe is banking on the creativity of FlashCast’s users. It basically depends on how the designer will take the technology and mold it. Adobe is currently giving training to companies like Nokia, NTT and Verizon Wireless to know how to fully use Flash Lite development content.

By using Flash Lite for our Shockwave Mini mobile game service, people like Shockwave can offer a unique selection of Flash Lite games to millions of Verizon wireless customers in the United States. The CEO of Mobitween, Philippe Chassany said, “As our mobile technology of choice, Flash Lite enables us and our partner developers to truly create rich and interactive games and application at unprecedented speed and reduced costs”. In a nutshell, Adobe is a nice little “monopoly” over the mobile software market.

This issue is very important to mostly to flash developers. It gives them hope in where to spend their time developing. If Flash Lite is the new things, people are going to develop more of it. This issue is also important to anyone who has or is looking to buy a phone. With this advancement in phone technology, you may want to keep your eye out for a nice flash-enabled phone.

My position on it is simple. I think Flash is ingenious. It is flexible, easy to modify, and fun to look at. With the Flash technology on getting better, it will be hard for any other program to surpass it. My only concern for Flash is that launches like the iPhone may shatter some dreams. Because phones seem like they are moving towards an “OS” to run on, more option will become available that may be better than flash.