Mobile and Devices Developer Center

Envisioning the Mobile Future

Something's in the air. Wireless leaders and developers in Asia know about it, and those in Europe are catching on quickly. The wireless community in North America, however, has yet to experience the excitement generated by the buzz surrounding the next big thing in wireless communications: the advent of engaging Flash content and applications on mobile devices. And this year's 3GSM World Congress offered a glimpse of what the future holds for mobile operators, developers, and content providers in the Americas—from new broadband technologies, to exciting new content partnerships, to the latest trends in mobile phone and gadget fashion.

It's a Brave New World

The problem with today's wireless experiences is uniformity. People are different, and they want to get different things from their devices. Yet manufacturers and service providers in the increasingly crowded and highly competitive mobile market have been unable to give their customers what they want. As a result, they have seen their margins and revenue shrink dramatically. After all, a different color or form factor only goes so far before a device loses its appeal to mobile consumers eager for new experiences.

Furthermore, much of today's wireless content and browsing experience has been disappointing. Dropped connections, latency issues, complicated user interfaces, lack of variety and functionality, and the fear of "sticker shock" at the end of the month (which has made many users cautious of how and when they use their mobile phones) all combine to yield lackluster mobile experiences with diminishing returns.

Part of the problem is, of course, the technology itself. The devices available today have not yet matured to the degree that they can deliver the content consumers want and in a way that is easy to navigate. Also problematic is the absence of mobile content offerings that are easy to deliver and use across a multitude of platforms and different devices.

All this is about to change, however, as handset manufacturers and operators in the United States and Canada are getting ready to join the rest of the world by launching Flash-based products and services that leverage the power of Macromedia Flash Lite, the trimmed-down version of the ubiquitous Macromedia Flash Player.

Similar to Flash Player, Flash Lite plays back rich Internet content across multiple browsers, platforms, and devices. In addition, Flash Lite extends readily to the critical task of developing dynamic, customizable user interfaces that simplify complex search operations and eliminate the need for hierarchical text menus that are cumbersome to navigate.

Flash Rules

The adoption of Flash Lite has accelerated dramatically throughout the second half of last year and is expected to grow exponentially throughout this year, raising the total number of Flash-based devices from 17.2 million in 2004 to an estimated 40 million by the end of 2005.

Designed to make the most of the limited resources of small devices, Flash Lite has been licensed by the world's leading wireless operators and manufacturers, including NTT DoCoMo, Sony Ericsson, KDDI, Samsung Electronics, and T-Mobile, to provide their customers with richer, more engaging, and easier-to-use mobile experiences.

According to a recent Yankee Group report, Flash Lite has already become the standard for large Japanese mobile Internet content providers. Samsung Electronics, the world's second largest handset manufacturer, has just introduced the first mobile phone enhanced with Flash Lite–based menus for the Korean domestic market, with other models to follow soon in European and U.S. markets.

The reasons why Flash Lite is quickly becoming the platform of choice for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and service providers are not surprising. By supporting rich, graphics-driven user interfaces, Flash Lite makes it easy for OEMs to develop dynamic and customizable menus, and for operators to differentiate their content and service offerings.

Also, Flash is the de facto standard for creating rich interactive experiences; every major website uses it, and brand holders are eager to bring their assets to the new mobile markets, where users are more willing to pay for the content they receive than on the web. And with more than one million seasoned Flash developers worldwide, who have the skill set to create engaging digital experiences and who can apply their expertise instantly to elegant solutions for mobile devices, OEMs and operators know that the Flash community has the bandwidth and know-how to meet the fast-growing demand for compelling mobile content.

Furthermore, many of the challenges that hamper current mobile application development stem from the lack of device homogeneity. Mobile phones differ in terms of displays, processors, and input methods, making it difficult for mobile developers to create the type of rich and easy-to-use interactive content consumers demand in a time and cost-efficient manner. Using Flash and Flash Lite, however, developers can create rich engaging experiences that can be delivered across various environments.

To help content owners and Flash developers make the most of the opportunities generated by the mobile industry's growing interest in Flash, Macromedia launched the new Mobile Developer Program (MDP) in November 2004. The goal of the MDP is to facilitate the creation of mobile content and assist developers around the world in building mobile content businesses.

To further capture the momentum of Flash in the mobile space, Macromedia is finalizing the development of Macromedia FlashCast, a new generation of rich and compelling data services that will change the way people use mobile phones, as well as initiate a new (and profitable) way of doing business for mobile operators, content aggregators, and content providers.

Initial responses to early FlashCast demos, which were first presented to the attendees of 3GSM World Congress in February 2004, have been overwhelming. Content providers and operators got a first glimpse of how FlashCast enables them to produce and deliver branded mobile services to consumer handsets quickly, cost-efficiently, and in high volume, and users were able to experience firsthand how FlashCast enables them to access multimedia content tailored to their needs, from the latest show news to local weather reports.

Part push-based service, part resident data on the device, and leveraging the feature set and functionality of Flash Lite–enabled handsets, FlashCast is the latest example of Macromedia's ongoing commitment to building a new mobile world in which users have immediate access to rich, personalized, and engaging content—anytime, anywhere.

The Future Is Here

Flash technology provides new opportunities for businesses and individuals. It can help operators and developers increase ROI and maximize profits by giving them the tools needed to create the best digital experiences today. Flash also lowers costs and increases time-to-market by streamlining the development and delivery of those experiences, especially in complex projects that involve many partners.

Last, but hardly least, Flash provides unparalleled levels of customization that enables operators and service providers to increase revenue and reduce churn by using one platform to target different audience segments, while giving users the power to customize their services so they become truly personal experiences.

Of course, Flash Lite and FlashCast are only the beginning. Looking to the future, I envision a world where mobility, like TV and the web before it, becomes just another platform for the delivery of rich, engaging, and useful experiences, and Macromedia provides the tools and support the developer community needs to produce the superior experiences mobile users want. The increasing visibility of Flash Lite on mobile devices is a clear sign that we are only steps away from entering this brave new mobile world of rich and engaging services and applications that entertain and inform us instantly—anytime, anywhere.

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