Adobe puts 'iSpin' on mobile Flash

New version of player guns for the iPhone crowd

Shaun Nichols in California, vnunet.com 27 Sep 2007

Adobe is hoping that its latest mobile offering can pick up where Apple's iPhone left off.

Version 3.0 of Flash Lite will be released on 30 September at the company's Max 2007 conference. Based on Flash 8, Flash Lite will support Adobe's Flash video format.

The new software will allow for Flash-based video services, such as YouTube, to be used with a mobile phone.

Gary Kovacs, vice president of marketing at Adobe's mobile and devices branch, told reporters that the aim of Flash Lite is to go beyond just video.

The company hopes to tap into a newfound passion for premium services among mobile developers in the aftermath of Apple's super-hyped mobile device.

The iPhone has "changed the landscape" with its sleek graphics and tight integration of services, turning the phone from a simple commodity into a fashion statement, according to Anup Murarka, Adobe's director of technical marketing.

"Since the iPhone, the energy in the industry to create something compelling has been off the charts," said Kovacs. "The iPhone has convinced customers that data on a mobile phone is possible."

Kovacs added that the first order of business is to create a base. Many developers are already familiar with Flash as a web service, but Adobe will need to pitch it as a viable tool for mobile devices.

"The franchise we hold most dearly is the developer community," he said. "If we have to create a whole new developer community, we lose."

Flash is among the most popular multimedia plug-ins on the web, and is installed on roughly 98 per cent of all desktop computers. Adobe hopes to capitalise on this formidable position to create a dominant mobile presence as well.

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