Today, Adobe systems reported that it will halt all development of its browser based Flash player application for mobile devices and would be shifting its focus on developing HTML5 as a web standard. Adobe’s General Manager Danny Winokur said in a blog, “Over the past two years, we’ve delivered Flash Player for mobile browsers and brought the full expressiveness of the web to many mobile devices. However, HTML5 is now universally supported on major mobile devices, in some cases exclusively. This makes HTML5 the best solution for creating and deploying content in the browser across mobile platforms.”
Hereafter, Adobe will focus on enabling Flash developers to package native apps with its Adobe AIR runtime for all the major app stores. Winokur said that they will continue to provide critical fixes and patches for current adobe users. Adobe Systems released Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 just last month, promising publishers the tools to deliver console-quality 2D and 3D gaming experiences to mobile platforms including Android, iOS and the BlackBerry Tablet OS as well as the desktop and connected TVs.
Companies including Apple and Google have made significant investments in HTML5, long considered a significant threat to Flash’s continued viability. Flash’s downfall started in April 2010 when Apple stopped allowing Flash content on their iPhones.