Saturday 19 November 2011

Apple, Adobe keynote conflict -- a cloud for Flash


Apple [AAPL] and Adobe [ADBE] continue to spar over Flash support on iOS devices, but recent moves by the latter firm seemingly suggest its coming round to a new approach for its once important multimedia standard, one in which all the work of handling Flash content is handled by the server, not the mobile device.
Apple, Adobe keynote conflict -- a cloud for Flash

[ABOVE: Final Cut X -- the best version ever (for Adobe).]
Clashing keynote capers
What's strange is that both Apple and Adobe will be making keynote announcements at the same time tomorrow.
We all have numerous ideas what Apple might announce, with iPhones and iCloud way at top of the list, but what on Earth does Adobe have planned?
Adobe is holding its keynote as part of its Adobe Max developer event, which runs until October 5. Given that Apple will suck up global press attention with its keynote, Adobe's likely not expecting too much traction when it makes its own big announcement.
It could be something from nothing -- after all, Apple only announced its keynote last week, while Adobe has had details of its own developer event available for a year, but the proximity of the two keynotes is sparking some debate. After all, there's lots of interest in a slick and successful implementation of Flash on Apple devices.

Is a Flash in the cloud?
Could Adobe be about to tell us something? We know the company's CTO, Kevin Lynch, will talk to developers about how Adobe is "transforming the creative process across mobile devices, personal computers, and the cloud."
Things have been pretty tense between the two firms since 2010, when then Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, wrote his famed "Thoughts on Flash" diatribe. Since then things have improved, slightly, with Adobe welcoming this year's introduction of Final Cut X for reinvigorating interest in Adobe Premier.
What happens next? We may find out more tomorrow, but I'm not expecting Flash on an iPad -- but speculate we may see some further announcement on future support for server-side Flash based media delivery systems for mobile devices.
That's the kind of support Adobe most recently stepped toward with Adobe Flash Media Server 4.5. "With Adobe Flash Media Server 4.5, media publishers now have a single, simple workflow for delivering content using the same stream to Flash-enabled devices or to the Apple iPhone and iPad."
We'll learn more tomorrow.
What are your thoughts? Speak up, I'm interested.
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