Flash Lite is finally here.
Verizon Wireless last week became the first U.S. carrier to offer Adobe Systems Inc.’s wireless platform, introducing a stripped-down version of its 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.
The announcement marks the U.S. debut for Flash Lite, which has gained substantial traction in Japan and South Korea for its ability to provide a platform a compelling user interface as well as multimedia content. The number of Flash-enabled phones is expected to explode from 38 million units last year to 216 million devices by 2010, according to a report from Strategy Analytics.
Verizon Wireless said the platform is available on LG Electronics Co. Ltd.’s VX9800 (marketed at The V), Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.’s SCH-a950, and Motorola Inc.’s Razr V3m and V3c models. The operator said more phones will support the technology “in coming weeks.” All of the devices run Qualcomm Inc.’s BREW platform.
While the technical benefits of the BREW platform are well-documented-the straightforward platform can be limiting, but easy to write to-Adobe chose Verizon Wireless as its first U.S. carrier partner because of the operator’s successful mobile data business, according to Anup Murarka, Adobe’s director of technical marketing for mobile devices.
“Creating a whole mechanism to monetize content is not a small task,” Murarka said. “As we looked at that landscape, we saw that Verizon Wireless makes it fairly straightforward for us to add Flash into that ecosystem.”
Web publishers have long hailed Flash’s flexibility, which allows developers to cut costs and speed time-to-market for new applications. The software has enjoyed tremendous success on the Internet, where it is used to enhance Web sites with animated graphics and interactive features; YouTube employs Flash to deliver its popular video offerings.
The technology might be even more beneficial to wireless publishers, who face a nightmarishly fragmented market of handsets and networks. Some mobile marketing companies are already eyeing Flash as an eye-grabbing advertising tool-something Java and WAP have failed to deliver. And widespread use of Flash-enabled phones is likely to spur use of the wireless Web, supporting PC-targeted sites and applications that use Flash, but simply overwhelm devices that don’t feature the technology.
Flash Lite “shows lots and lots of promise,” Hands-On Mobile Senior Vice President Gina Centoni said earlier this year.
“It gives us a lot of control, a lot of flexibility in how we implement designs,” said Centoni, a former Macromedia executive. “It gives us an opportunity to write to that layer rather than all the levels of Java and BREW.”
Flash, which Adobe acquired with last year’s $3.4 billion acquisition of Macromedia, also has the benefit of a community of more than 1.3 million developers. As the platform gains traction among U.S. wireless users-the Verizon Wireless agreement is not exclusive, and other U.S. operators are expected to deploy Flash in coming months-the market could see a flood of applications that have been “mobilized” from the desktop to the small screen.
“With only minor adjustments to accommodate the unique specifications and needs of handsets, developers already skilled in Flash can easily bring their skills and expertise to the mobile space,” according to an IDC white paper sponsored by Macromedia. Indeed, Verizon Wireless followed the launch news with a slew of content announcements supporting the technology: SkyZone Entertainment and India Games each introduced Flash-enabled titles, The Weather Channel unveiled a graphic-rich application and Zingy launched a Flash version of its MovieGoer service.
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. Shockwave.com, a division of MTV Networks, is backing the Flash initiative with a library of 30 games available via a monthly subscription. The casual titles are based on noted franchises including “SpongeBob SquarePants” and the MTV hit “Pimp My Ride;” access to the entire portfolio is offered at $3.50 per month.
“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.”
