Companies worldwide are using Adobe’s rich internet application platform to build browser and desktop software for customers, partners, and employees.
Adobe AIR 1.0 and Adobe Flex 3.0 are now available in final form. Together, they provide a development and distribution stack for rich internet applications in the browser and on the desktop.
“RIAs have moved beyond the early-adopter stage,” says Adobe chief technology officer Kevin Lynch. “Organizations worldwide are using this shift in web software. The momentum around Adobe AIR applications demonstrates demand for software that lets companies interact with customers in more engaging and efficient ways while giving RIAs a first-class place on the desktop.”
AOL, eBay, Nasdaq, The New York Times Company, Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group’s Nick.com, Sharp, and other organizations have introduced AIR-based applications.
Nasdaq Market Replay
Nasdaq Market Replay uses Adobe Flex and AIR to deliver a desktop application that allows finance professionals to replay market data. It is designed to help investors determine how orders interacted with the market.
Stock trading can involve millions of orders processed through different channels. Market Replay lets traders show clients in detail how the market responded to trading activity. Adobe AIR is intended to provide immediate interaction with extremely large data volumes beyond what the browser version could deliver at the time.
“Developing the application with Adobe AIR allows us to offer high-quality data analysis at lower cost,” says Nasdaq vice president Randall Hopkins. “Users can better reconstruct and understand relevant market movements and their effects at any time. This supports financial advisers and gives clients a more precise view of the market.”
The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company introduced ShifD, an AIR-based application for exchanging content between computers and mobile devices. It is intended to simplify access to media while users are away from their desks.
Developers used AJAX technology for both the browser and AIR desktop versions. The company was also developing an AIR-based blog reader.
“ShifD addresses content exchange among different web-enabled devices,” says Michael Zimbalist, vice president of research and development operations at The New York Times Company. “We see the future in device-independent media, with convergence centered on the user experience rather than separate output channels. Adobe AIR is therefore the right technology for us.”
Further AIR Development
Atlantic Records, BBC, Business Objects, Deutsche Bank, FedEx, Loyalty Management Group, Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group’s Neopets, and Wilson Sporting Goods are also developing desktop rich internet applications using Flex and AIR.
The projects cover social communities, banking and purchasing processes, complex enterprise applications, and interactive games.
Deutsche Bank Desktop Notifications
Deutsche Bank developed a continuously active customer application using Flex and AIR. It keeps users informed about activities, account movements, and balances.
The bank’s db-direct internet service lets corporate clients and financial institutions manage transactions online. AIR provides desktop notifications about defined activities or events without requiring users to remain logged into the website.
“Usability, customer service, and communication are crucial in finance,” says Mike LaCava, director and global head of internet channels in Global Transaction Banking at Deutsche Bank.
“We needed to combine personal support with an interactive system that returns dynamic, customizable information to customers. Adobe AIR links desktop and internet capabilities, sending personalized messages to the screen without delay while users continue their daily work.”