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Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future

By | September 20, 2011, 9:01pm PDT

Summary: Adobe’s point is that Flash and HTML 5 will run side by side for years to come.

Adobe on Wednesday will launch its Flash Player 11 for general consumption as it works to bolster adoption even as key partners move toward HTML 5 and browser technologies that don’t require plug-ins.

The company considers Flash Player 11 and its Adobe AIR 3 to be milestone releases that will enable 3D games, enhance the user experience and improve video delivery. Adobe aims to have 1 billion devices support AIR by the end of 2015.

In an interview, Anup Murarka, director of product marketing for Adobe Flash, had two missions. First, he had to counter the perception that Flash was fading. Murarka also had to address Microsoft’s decision to go plug-in free—and therefore without Flash—on its Metro IE 10 browser. Apple’s feelings—or lack of them—about Flash have been known for years.

Adobe’s point is that Flash and HTML 5 will run side by side for years to come.

“We are going to keep the pace of innovation on Flash,” said Murarka. “Microsoft was clear that the use case for Flash is on the desktop. Flash will run just fine on the Windows desktop.”

Murarka also moved to combat the perception that Flash usage was dropping. The overall market for mobile video and applications is booming and Flash is riding along.

It’s also worth noting that Flash isn’t a moneymaker for Adobe, which sells developer tools. “There’s a chain of value in the tools, servers and analytics to enable mobile apps,” he said. Of course, Adobe is “always worried about developer interest,” but the idea “that Flash is getting less popular is nothing that any of our metrics are showing.”

With that backdrop, Adobe launched its Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 software. The goal appears to be to do things that HTML 5 can’t quite do yet. Adobe sees its Flash and AIR platforms as ways to create content and applications across multiple platforms—Android, BlackBerry, Mac, Windows—and screens—smartphones, PCs and TVs.

Indeed, Adobe does address some key holes with its latest Flash Player and AIR releases. Among the key items:

  • Native extensions that allow developers to tap into hardware features such as light sensors, dual screens and Near Field Communications (NFC).
  • Captive runtime so developers can package AIR 3 with applications. That move will simplify installations on Android, Windows, Mac and Apple’s iOS. On many platforms, a user would have to download AIR separately to run an app.
  • Content protection that enables services like TV Everywhere as well as rental and subscription support.
  • Improved video and 2D/3D support.

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Topics

Adobe Systems Inc., Adobe Flash, Macromedia Flash Player, Corporate Communications, Microsoft Windows, Application Development, Marketing, Operating Systems, Software, Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic.

Disclosure

Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan has nothing to disclose. He doesn’t hold investments in the technology companies he covers.

Biography

Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic. He was most recently Executive Editor of News and Blogs at ZDNet. Prior to that he was executive news editor at eWeek and news editor at Baseline. He also served as the East Coast news editor and finance editor at CNET News.com. Larry has covered the technology and financial services industry since 1995, publishing articles in WallStreetWeek.com, Inter@ctive Week, The New York Times, and Financial Planning magazine. He's a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism and the University of Delaware.

For daily updates, follow Larry on Twitter.

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utmowys 93 unj
cmakrekwe85-24379045760226212728143779399584 25th Nov
tayvkm,ypyphggc36, onpzo.
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0 Votes
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..mmmm
thx-1138_@... 20th Sep
... i dunno.

I notice Murarka, conveniently, doesn't talk about the swiss cheese vulnerabilities of Adobe Flash and a 'certain other product' Adobe develops. Fix the major security problems or just save yourselves the trouble and relegate your products to the pages of history, Adobe.
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
terry flores 21st Sep
@thx-1138_@... Flash is a giant trojan. And if they include more "native extensions" that bypass system security and communicate to hardware directly, it will mean even more security holes to exploit.

And to top it off, Flash is essentially spyware, reporting detailed and personalized data back to Adobe. Just put a network monitor on you link and watch it phone home with each and every Flash invocation.
0 Votes
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Adobe should keep an eye on
LBiege 21st Sep
... what Google is cooking with their new Dart initiatives. HTML/JS is not gonna threaten Flash. H/DART could.
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
shellcodes_coder 21st Sep
That figure doesn't illustrate tons of security holes that exist in flash and ways to exploit them
0 Votes
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Poor Flash
johnfenjackson@... 21st Sep
Ejected by Apple to make sure apps. were released via an exclusive mechanism taking a 30% cut.

Ejected by M$ to make sure METRO apps. were released via an exclusive mechanism taking a 30% cut.

Anti-competitive moves by Apple and M$ not meriting even a whimper from ZDNET.

Anti-competitive moves which the US competition authorities might get round to recognising in 5 years time and attempting to correct in 10 years time.
0 Votes
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
Habiloso Updated - 21st Sep
@johnfenjackson@...
Imagine a Walmart, or some other large store, where people just walk-in, take some of the space and set-up their own small business. They pay nothing to the company - nothing for rent, electricity, advertising, waste collection, parking and so forth. That's what you are proposing!

Apple and MS have spent a large amount of money developing their eco-systems and they've done a lot of work over the years to develop their customer base. They deserve to be recompensed. If you think that is wrong, then I suggest that you allow people to use the front yard of your home to set-up their own small business - and you won't be allowed to charge them a cent!
0 Votes
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Two Fundamental Errors
johnfenjackson@... 21st Sep
@ptorning
The fundamental error you make is in the analogy with physical wares and old trading methods. Digital is different and you are behind the times in your thinking.

The distribution mechanism is already in place: torrents. Ironically it is exactly the type of solution you propose I adopt ... set up the store in my own back yard and charge nothing for it!

You have not yet truly embaraced the capability of the Internet and distributed systems. You wish us to remain in the past wrt to trading and distribution ... and allow global corporations to keep us there. I want to move forward.

You also fail to recognise the balance between reasonable returns, exploitation and monopoly. Don't forget a PC is built on the combined platform of CPU, hard disk, controllers, ... should all others take a 30% cut too?

We have all, including M$, enjoyed a symbiotic relationship between major players and ecosystem partners. I should like it to remain that way. If M$ descend to Apple's vile parasitic 30% cut mentality I will oppose their operations. I suggest you do the same ... but tis a free(ish) country.
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On your terms
johnfenjackson@... 21st Sep
@ptorning
If you want an analogy in obsolete terms ...
... Apple and M$ are saying there will only be two stores on the planet: their two stores.
All digital wares (not only software in Apple's case you see) from all other suppliers must go through our two stores.
Everybody pays 30% tax.

Over my dead PC!
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
the.nameless.drifter 21st Sep
@johnfenjackson@...

But both support the HTML5 which they don't get a 30% cuts from. All MS have done is announce that the IE metro browser will not support plugins, that will not stop firefox shipping a browser with flash support they've just decided for performance and security reasons to not allow any plugins in IE.

Flash is 1 large security headache brought about by the fact that Adobe are either too lazy to rewrite it or they don't see it as a problem. I for one will cheer when HTML 5 kills it
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
jimsj 21st Sep
@johnfenjackson@...

IMHO, you're either a little foolish or your income is somehow dependent upon Flash.

Based upon the fact that Flash has been labeled the new "Vista" with respect to security holes (and has been for a LONG time), Apple & MS have decided not to allow Flash plug-ins. Personally, I think this is an excellent decision on their part (on the MS IE side of the equation, long overdue). It seems that I'm getting Flash updates every few days -- that many updates can't mean enhancements -- they're vulnerability fixes. No matter how Adobe tries to spin it, it's still putting lipstick on a pig.

Anti-competitive?? If Flash were more secure, I doubt we're reading or posting comments on this thread.

To use the analogy of letting someone setup business in your backyard -- if doing so created a vulnerability which made it easier for a thief to break into your home and your hard earned possessions were stolen, would you still allow it?? I doubt it. Flash is that vulnerability!
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
jgm@... 21st Sep
@jimsj If security holes had anything to do with this, Microsoft would have disallowed most releases of its own browser from its operating system. The OS vendor doesn't get to decide for the user what 3rd party applications are good or not good for their personal systems, period.
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Right. Because writing content that is 100% beholden
baggins_z 21st Sep
to whatever operating system and hardware platform Adobe chooses to support is a utopia of open-ness.

Let's identify what's really got you hot and bothered: You're a flash developer and you see people caring less and less about your skill set.
0 Votes
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I see that as freedom, though.
spdragoo@... 21st Sep
@johnfenjackson@...

Apple & Microsoft have the *freedom* to choose not to integrate Adobe's proprietary product into their OSs (although Apple is *much* more restrictive about it than Microsoft).

Just as *you* have the choice to pick a non-Apple or non-Microsoft OS for your smartphone if you want to have Flash capability. Apple & Microsoft aren't forcing you to buy their particular smartphones, after all.
0 Votes
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
Habiloso 21st Sep
@johnfenjackson@...
"The fundamental error you make is in the analogy with physical wares and old trading methods. Digital is different and you are behind the times in your thinking."

"The distribution mechanism is already in place: torrents. Ironically it is exactly the type of solution you propose I adopt ... set up the store in my own back yard and charge nothing for it!"

You have no idea what you are talking about and you still do not see the fundamental problem with your own discussion. It does not matter if it is a physical store or an e-store.

Go ahead and set-up your e-store. But remember, you have to let anyone who wants to use on your site to do so for free. You pay for the servers, the software, the electricity, the marketing, advertising, customer development and so forth and they pay you nothing in return. You pay to host their business for nothing. That is what you are advocating! So, off you go; develop your brilliant business model and watch yourself go broke in no time fast.
0 Votes
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Too bad that Flash is indeed the slow, lazy, glitchy resource hog, so ...
DeRSSS 21st Sep
@johnfenjackson@... accusing both Apple and Microsoft leads nowhere. Flash has to die, alas; it deserves it.
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I just love it when I go to web site ...
P. Douglas 21st Sep
... after web site, and my browser freezes for up to a minute in some cases (on my lower end laptop) while all the flash controls on the web pages suck away the CPU cycles of my PC. As far as I'm concerned, flash is the non-malware scourge of the web.
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... on the other hand ...
johnfenjackson@... 21st Sep
... a goodly majority have managed to find a relaible PC configuration where they go to web site after web site enjoying fine graphic content, even if delivered slowly.

OK, so Flash can be flaky and needs constant updates ... but many people think its worth it. I would be very happy if HTML5 solved all those probems.

But in the meantime I woud like the option, the choice of using Flash. So I am sure would the vast number of sites who will have to recode their main applications when the new HTML5 standards and functionality arrives.

In the meantime the vital lesson learned by M$ with VISTA is to preserve compatibility whilst the transition occurs.

I think M$ learnt that lesson: W8 Developer Edition looks good. But removing plugins from METRO is an anti-competitive move and has nothing to do with stability, security or performance: that's just the excuse for the dirty manouevre.
0 Votes
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Old Code Base
tomogden 21st Sep
@johnfenjackson@...
The code base in Flash is old and rotten. That's the real issue, and Adobe can't or won't justify the expense of replacing it. "Updates" won't go far to preserve their market share.
0 Votes
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Anti-competitive to *who*?
spdragoo@... 21st Sep
@johnfenjackson@...

They didn't say, "We're not going to allow Adobe Flash plug-ins, but all other plug-ins are OK", & they didn't say "No browser running under Metro's UI will be allowed to run any plug-ins", they just said that IE10 *under Metro* will not allow plug-ins from *any* source to run. That would mean Microsoft plug-ins as well.

And again, they also didn't say the user can't download *other* browsers that would run plug-ins in Metro.
0 Votes
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
matjam 21st Sep
until html5 can offer some form of drm I don't think you have to worry much about flash dying out. Who is going to expend great effort making html5 games when their code is wide open for copying. Are movie studios going to release drm-free html5 movies, nah. Flash has a whole lot of life in it yet.
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They can still copy Flash movies, though.
spdragoo@... 21st Sep
@matjam

Otherwise, I wouldn't see those freeware applications that allow you to convert FLV videos from sites like YouTube into another format (like AVI or WMV).

Remember, the movie & TV studios have YouTube constantly removing their copyrighted products from the server, because the Flash-converted videos can be copied by end-users.
0 Votes
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Flasn can't die fast enough!
wkulecz 21st Sep
I'd love it if flash just disappeared. If its not a money maker, why in the world are they not encouraging its demise? Losing money on it would help explain its abysmal security.
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
Imrhien 21st Sep
@wkulecz It's not a DIRECT money-maker, as they don't charge for it. But you sure pay plenty for the tools to develop for Flash, and Adobe is the only seller wink
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
Grayson Peddie 21st Sep
I ain't care for Flash, stupid Adobe. sad
0 Votes
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
JB5645 21st Sep
Ballmer does this to show he too can be Steve jobs.
0 Votes
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AIR and Flash are part of the past, present and the future
thinkspring 21st Sep
I have no concerns about Flash or AIR's future (AIR in particular). AIR allows me to deploy applications with minimal tweaks across iOS and Android devices. Contrast that with having to write native code for every marketplace/device. In many cases Flash/AIR can be the best tool for the job.

There has been a trend to attempt to and compare HTML5 to Flash/AIR and to 'pit them against one another' (for maximum drama or blog traffic I guess?) This is a technically incorrect, apples to oranges type comparison.

Not everything has to be a 'deathmatch'. All technologies have their strengths and weaknesses. HTML5 does not need to 'fight' Flash. It takes a mix of technologies to deliver interactive content. The trend to spread polarized b.s. about the 'HTML5 vs. Flash war' clouds the topic of delivering excellent interactive experiences and causes unneeded confusion, fear and uncertainty amongst the media and masses.

I would rather have options and solutions than a 'coke vs. pepsi' flame war, but that is exactly what seems to be happening in the comments for articles like this.
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Competition in its very nature is a Win-Lose Scenario..
Snooki_smoosh_smoosh 21st Sep
@thinkspring... If adobe can't compete that is their problem. This is after all what Competitive Capitalism does.
0 Votes
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Please don't
optyk 21st Sep
@thinkspring as a user (and someone who works in IT) I would ask you to learn proper coding skills as opposed to foistering AIR upon us. I neither like using nor do I like supporting poorly coded apps created by someone who should know better. There is simply no exuse for using runtimes like AIR, .NET or Java as they are just not needed.
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
Imrhien 21st Sep
@optyk You're kidding, right? Cross-platform code is more important than ever!
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
mswift@... Updated - 21st Sep
I haven't allowed Adobe products on our important machines for several years. They have had more security problems with basic products in the last several years than Microsoft has had for everything they produce.

Adobe has forgotten that reader does not mean modifier. The more things they hook to reader or AIR the fewer business machines will run their products.
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
CobraA1 21st Sep
"Native extensions that allow developers to tap into hardware features such as light sensors, dual screens and Near Field Communications (NFC)."

And hacking. The black hats are going to have a field day with native extentions. ActiveX does the same thing, and the result was a security mess.

"Content protection that enables services like TV Everywhere as well as rental and subscription support."

Content protection doesn't enable anything. It restricts.

"Improved video and 2D/3D support."

Does that include threading support? Franky, a major holdup seems to be that current versions of Flash simply don't support multiple cores, even though they are the norm on desktops and are available on mobile devices like cell phones.
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
Gabriel Hernandez 21st Sep
Intellectual property of Flash applications packaged in swf files will be broken if Flash removes plug-ins, any developer will be able to copy and pirate code from html5 pages into their websites for free.
This will be a hit for open source developers but will bring trouble for graphic design companies which have many intellectual property from code written in Flash that has been working for years.
This is the same problem popular programming languages like Java have, their code is write in bytecode so you can get a free decompiler and see the source. The old days where executable code was propietary and unable to be pirated will now be over. The only company left which uses a programming language that can't be decompiled is Microsoft and is Windows OS, I just hope MS doesn't invest in HTML5 projects very much since the code will be hijacked by other companies.
0 Votes
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
CobraA1 21st Sep
@Gabriel Hernandez If you really think Flash is protecting your graphic designs, you're fooling yourself.

"The old days where executable code was propietary and unable to be pirated will now be over."

It has never been the case that executable code protected you from being pirated. This is the worst lie you can tell yourself.

YES, you can reverse engineer executable code. Why do you think so many security holes have been found in Windows?
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
ronmack 22nd Sep
If you could wave a magic wand and make flash disappear tomorrow I suspect it wouldn't be too long before somebody would invent something to take it's place.

HTML 5 is the most over-hyped thing that's come along in a long time. All right for the simple stuff but anything beyond that you are entering a world of pain.

Google Dart looks interesting.
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Flash do the best what Flash is supposed to do
flashflexpro 22nd Sep
No other technologies can do what Flash does( sophisticated, powerful, cross platform), even there was, say Silverlight did, it will make no more secure, Flash's Quality has no problem, and that's the problem, it's growing too fast to be tolerated by Apple or M$!
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
mario_luis_gomes@... 24th Sep
I used flash 11 with Fatpaint ( http://www.fatpaint.com ), an online graphic design application and image editor, and it runs so much more smoother. Great work Adobe!
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RE: Adobe launches Flash Player 11 over concerns about its future
lehnerus2000 28th Sep
I wouldn't shed any tears if Flash vanished back up Adobe's orifice.

It also seems that most of the people who create code using it, shouldn't be allowed near any computers, ever.
0 Votes
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utmowys 93 unj
cmakrekwe85-24379045760226212728143779399584 25th Nov
tayvkm,ypyphggc36, onpzo.

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