Archive notice: This article was originally published on January 17, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Market-research company Strategic Analytics http://www.strategicanalytics.com forecasts growth of 31.6 percent by 2012 for mobile phones equipped with Adobe’s Flash Lite software http://www.adobe.com/products/flashlite. This means 840 million devices will be sold in four years. By then, the software will be installed on almost 62 percent of all mobile phones, according to the researchers. In 2007, only 19 percent had Adobe’s software. Analysts see the new Flash Lite 3 version, introduced last autumn, as the main driver of this development.
A compelling argument for Flash Lite 3 is the ability to play web videos on mobile phones. As more devices support Wi-Fi alongside mobile communications, manufacturers are working on ways to bring the internet, as users know it on their PCs, to mobile devices as well. The flagship of this development is the iPhone, with which Apple has demonstrated both the integration of graphics and additional services and convinced customers of the compatibility of data services and mobile phones.
“We assume that integrating video functionality will bring significant added value to mobile phones. Access to video platforms will then also be possible from the mobile phone,” says Stuart Robinson, Chief Analyst for Mobile Communications at Strategic Analytics. At present, competing platforms such as Java or BREW still have the edge and a much broader installed base. “The Java platform in particular, however, struggles with questions of compatibility and complexity,” says analyst Stephen Entwistle. Developers would find it much easier to program new applications with Flash Lite. In addition, many developers are already familiar with the Flash platform.
One of the first devices to have Flash Lite 3 installed will be the Nokia N95. Firmware version 15.0.015 has integrated the new Flash version, making the phone ready to play online videos. Alongside Nokia, which works closely with Adobe in this area, Japanese telecommunications group NTT DoCoMo is another major partner. According to Strategic Analytics, Flash phones are currently most widespread in Japan. However, analysts expect regions such as Western Europe and Asia-Pacific to overtake Japan in the coming years.
