November 09, 2011, 12:16 PM —
Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen speaks at the Samsung keynote address on the opening day of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas January 6, 2011.
REUTERS/Rick Wilking
Adobe Systems said Wednesday it is abandoning the Flash Player in future mobile browsers to focus on HTML5, a decision that immediately ignited concerns among mobile app developers, many of whom are working with Android apps.
Adobe "will no longer continue to develop Flash Player in the browser to work with new mobile device configurations," according to a blog posted by Danny Winokur, general manager of interactive development for Adobe. Those configurations include the chipset, browser , OS version and more, he said. The changes will take place following the upcoming release of Flash Player 11.1 for Android and BlackBerry PlayBook, he added.
Winokur promised Adobe will continue to provide bug fixes and security updates for existing device configurations.
The changes will allow Adobe to increase its investment in HTLML 5, a Flash alternative, and to innovate with Flash in areas where it can "have the most impact," such as advanced gaming and premium video, Winokur said.
"HTML5 is now universally supported on major mobile devices, in some cases exclusively," he explained. "This makes HTML5 the best solution for creating and deploying content in the browser across mobile platforms."
Separately, at an Adobe financial analyst meeting today, Adobe's General Manager of Digital Media David Wadhwani said that HTML5 is "good for Adobe, our customers and the industry."
Web video and gaming will rely on HTML5 across phones, tablets and PCs, Wadhwani said. "It will take time and won't happen over night," he said at the financial conference, which was Webcast. "It plays to our strength."
Developers on the blog's comments had many immediate questions, including requests for more details on how Adobe will transition from its focus on the Flash mobile browser to HTML5.
One commenter, Mike Vitale, vice president of operations at TalkPoint Communications, said the move away from Flash on mobile is a "poor decision by Adobe" and that "most content distributors are very content to deliver live audio and video in Flash."
