Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE) Systems has ended its efforts to secure a spot on the iPhone OS for Flash, its multimedia platform.
While the company will ship its Flash-to-iPhone porting tool in its upcoming Creative Suite, it will not dedicate any more resources to the program, Mike Chambers, Adobe's principal product manager for developer relations for the Flash platform, said in a blog post on Tuesday.
Earlier this month,
Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) updated its developer program license, forbidding apps created with anything other than Apple-sanctioned tools. That included Adobe's tool to port programs written in Flash to the iPhone OS, which runs the iPhone and Apple's new iPad tablet.
Adobe will instead turn its attention to mobile platforms such as Android, the
Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) phone operating system
.
"We are at the beginning of a significant change in the industry, and I believe that ultimately open platforms will win out over the type of closed, locked down platform that Apple is trying to create," Chambers wrote in his post.
Neither Apple nor Adobe responded to requests for comment before deadline for this article.
The Hurt's on Apple?
Apple's decision will do more to hurt it in the long run than it will Adobe, predicted Al Hilwa, an
IDC Research analyst following the issue.
"Apple should really go back and reread history and see how they lost the first war with the PC," Hilwa told MacNewsWorld.
The decision to further close off the iPhone ecosystem may ultimately backfire, he said, if Android continues its rapid growth trajectory and other well-heeled competitors --
Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT),
Nokia (NYSE: NOK) and RIM, primarily -- are able to capitalize on growing smartphone interest to take market share from Apple.
The decision also opens a strong marketing
play for Apple's competitors to lure consumers with talking points promising the "full Web, not just the parts Steve Jobs wants you to see," Hilwa said.
Then again, Apple does have a huge presence in the smartphone market, and with the recent announcement of its iAd platform for iPhone OS developers, Apple has even less incentive to allow Flash -- a standard in online advertising -- onto its devices, Hilwa said.
Flash Can Survive
For Adobe, the question will be how well Flash can do without the iPhone.
Flash is strategically important to the success of Adobe's Creative Suite, which accounts for about half of its revenue. While losing out on the iPhone won't impose a significant short-term revenue hit, it could pose a strategic challenge if developers choose to stop supporting the platform and stop buying Adobe tools.
However, that's not likely to happen, Hilwa said.
"I think Flash can absolutely survive without the iPhone," he maintained. "The race is far from over."
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Guess what? iPhone or iPad user won't be enable to play/view any flash material as Apple already backfired Adobe. Most of the website use flash player , even in your facebook , the apps are using flash player. No farm ville , pet society , and etc for those gamers in fb. Very pity to those iPhone user. Anyway , i know there are lots of apps and games in iStore for iPhone user and they wont mind about the flashy thing. Up to the people on which they are most likely to use. For me , i'm not iPhone fanz but i like tech stuff. I will prefer to move on open source as it can give me freedom. No need to care for iTunes and whatsoever. All da best in your journey to find a perfect smartphone..
P/s: Nobody perfect , so do the smartphone.
