TECHNOLOGYNOVEMBER 9, 2011, 12:35 P.M. ET
Adobe Drops Flash for Phones, in Reversal
By MATT JARZEMSKY
Adobe Systems Inc. said it plans to stop development of its Flash player software for mobile browsers, saying it will focus its efforts on HTML 5, another media presentation standard.
The move follows criticism, including a series of high-profile attacks by Apple Inc. founder Steve Jobs, that Flash media streaming technology isn't suited for use on low-power mobile devices. Adobe said Wednesday it will continue to provide bug fixes and security updates and help app developers. It also will continue to develop Flash in other areas such as advanced gaming and premium video for PCs.
David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
"We will no longer continue to develop Flash Player in the browser to work with new mobile device configurations (chipset, browser, OS version, etc.) following the upcoming release of Flash Player 11.1 for Android and BlackBerry PlayBook," the company said in a blog post Wednesday.
The news marks an about face for Adobe, which has long touted the benefits of Flash over HTML5. The company at its recent annual developers conference made the case that its Flash media streaming technology is critical for mobile communication. At that time, Adobe introduced Flash 11.
Adobe has said Flash doesn't compete with HTML5, a group of new, open source standards for delivering Web content that has been embraced by Apple and others. Rather, it has said Flash can be used to create content, including blacklisted_site, that HTML5 cannot. The company also has said that when Flash is used in combination with another Adobe product, AIR3, content can be packaged into applications for smartphones and tablets, including Apple's popular iPhone and iPad.
Adobe on Wednesday said it will continue enabling Flash developers to package mobile apps with AIR. But it also will be increasing its investment in HTML5.
"HTML is now universally supported on major mobile devices, in some cases exclusively," Adobe said in a blog post Wednesday. "This makes HTML5 the best solution for creating and deploying content in the browser across mobile platforms."
Adobe doesn't break out Flash in its earnings reports, but the Flash media player is woven throughout Adobe's creative tools for Web professionals. The software is a core part of Adobe's Creative Suite software.
Adobe late Tuesday said it would restructure its business to focus on digital media and marketing software, resulting in 750 job cuts and slower-than-expected revenue growth next year. The company said that by focusing on the two areas, it would drive faster growth in future years.
"We now believe it's time to double down to accelerate growth in the two areas where we see the largest market opportunities, digital media and digital Gmarketing," Adobe President and Chief Executive Shantanu Narayen said at an analyst conference Wednesday.
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