Adobe preaches growth through collaboration

SAN FRANCISCO — Regardless of whether it’s on television, a personal computer or a mobile phone, consumers will demand the same experience when it comes to the Internet and entertainment and the different players in the wireless industry are going to have to work together to deliver a consistent service, said Shantanu Narayen, president and CEO of Adobe Systems Inc.
During Thursday morning’s keynote at the CTIA Wireless & I.T. Entertainment 2008 event, Narayen said the first evolution of mobile is behind the industry and a collaborative effort is needed by networks, wireless carriers and software developers for the future.
“We are entering the second revolution for mobile,” he said. “The Internet is revolutionizing mobile.”
The mobile Internet is emerging in the marketplace; Narayen estimates that in the not-too-distant future, 1 billion people in emerging markets around the globe will access the Internet without a personal computer. That is quite a projection considering there are 40 million users in the United States who are mobile Web users and 600 million worldwide.
To ensure customers are satisfied with their mobile Web experiences, the wireless industry is going to have to offer devices that give consumers the same experiences they enjoy today, like watching TV or surfing the Internet on a home computer.
“Consumers will demand the same experience across each of the devices,” he said. “The industry must deliver a service that is consistent from device to device.”
How the industry gets there will be a challenge. Right now, Narayen said expectations are not being met. He said shelf life for devices hitting the market is too short. Cost of experimentation is too high.
“We are not unleashing the creativity of the developers,” he said.
But the biggest obstacle is fragmentation.
“Fragmentation is holding the industry back,” he said,
Narayen is hopeful the evolution of the mobile Internet will progress the same way the Internet on home computers evolved. In its inception, the Internet was dominated by four companies. When different applications and Web browsers came along, the Internet exploded.
“There was too much for a single company to provide,” he said. “Not one company can control innovation and content.”
Narayen said there are a few companies that are working to give customers the same experience whether it is on a personal computer, game console or mobile phone. Finetune music service is one company that has embraced providing a consistent service regardless of the device that is being used to access its Web site. The company uses Adobe Air software.
During a demonstration, the look of Finetune’s Web site and navigation was the same when accessed on a computer, mobile phone and Nintendo Wii.
Narayen said demand by consumers for television programming, especially sporting events, on mobile devices will drive the industry to deliver these services.
Adobe is part of the Open Screen Project, which consists of 20 companies working to provide consumers with the same experience across multiple screens regardless of devices, operating system, browsers or networks. Industry giants in network TV, wireless communications and software development have joined the project. The group is hopeful to remove development and distribution barriers and innovating through collaboration.
Narayen said there are 800 million devices in the world that can use Adobe Flash and that number is expected to rise to 1 billion devices in the future.
“If we do it together as an industry, everyone wins,” he said. “But the ultimate winner is each one of us who will have a richer user experience across multiple screens.”