The iPhone will soon receive its own version of Adobe’s Flash Player, a popular web plug-in capable of performing audio, video, and animated art content, according to Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen. “We believe Flash is synonymous with the Internet experience,” Narayen told investors during a conference call, explaining that the company has been evaluating Apple’s iPhone software development kit, “and we are committed to bringing Flash to the iPhone.”
Adobe’s announcement follows Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ comments that both Flash Lite, a mobile-optimized Flash player, and the full-fledged Flash player for PCs and Macs were not viable iPhone-ready applications. Shortly thereafter, Microsoft licensed Flash Lite for use on Windows Mobile devices. It is presently unclear how the iPhone version of Flash Player will integrate with the iPhone’s Safari web browser.
Updated: Adobe has issued a statement noting that any Flash Player integration with the Safari web browser will require “work with Apple beyond and above what is available through the SDK and the current license around it,” rendering the company’s earlier commitment to the iPhone merely a statement of intent rather than a formal guarantee. “[W]e want to work with Apple,” Adobe said, “to bring these capabilities to the device.”
