LAS VEGAS—Flash Lite is finally here.
Verizon Wireless became the first U.S. carrier to offer Adobe Systems Inc.’s wireless platform, introducing a stripped-down version of the popular Flash Player for computers. The technology, which will initially be supported by four high-end handset models, will be automatically downloaded as consumers access Flash-enabled content such as games and video.
Verizon Wireless had previously announced its intent to introduce Flash technology.
The announcement marks the U.S. debut for Flash Lite, which has gained substantial traction in Japan and South Korea for its ability to deliver a compelling user interface as well as multimedia content. The number of Flash Lite-enabled phones is expected to explode from 38 million units last year to 216 devices by 2010, according to a report from Strategy Analytics.
Publishers have long hailed Flash’s flexibility, which allows developers to cut costs and speed time-to-market for new applications. Verizon Wireless followed the news with a slew of content announcements supporting the technology, including new games from SkyZone Entertainment and graphic-heavy applications from The Weather Channel and Zingy.
And the carrier is hoping the technology provides a boost for its casual games, which are largely seen as a key to growth in mobile gaming.
“In terms of instant entertainment in the form of casual gaming, this is the right combination of technology and platforms,” said Ray Taylor, Verizon Wireless’ director of product development. “The fact that a Flash developer can essentially create something very quickly and basically just go though a publisher or aggregator … and deliver (the application) to existing handsets is going to be big.”
Adobe’s stock was up more than 3 percent on the news. Adobe also announced solid earnings and a raised outlook.
