There’s been much discussion about what the future holds for Flash. The recent spat with Apple has continued to stoke the debate with many commentators predicting that the end is nigh for the platform. I think that this couldn’t be further from the truth and in fact this multi faceted piece of technology is going to continue to be at the forefront of the web’s development for the next ten years.

Here are some reason why.

1. Video streaming

Video is without doubt the most significant media consumed on the web today and its importance will continue to grow and grow. Flash has long been the best platform for playing video and web users love it. It’s a medium that is becoming ever more accessible as a new generation of compact high def cameras hits the market.

HTML5 is also capable of playing video and it’s for this reason that it is seen as a competitor to Flash but that is as far as the competition goes. Flash is the only platform that is able to stream video and provide a facility for live broadcasting and teleconferencing. HTML5 cannot do this.

If the future of the web is video then the future is Flash.


2. Input support

When it comes to capturing video websites like Facebook, YouTube and MySpace invariably rely upon Flash or a specialist desktop app to fulfill this function. These sites also use file uploaders that add data both quickly and in volume. Again in Flash.

The latest crop of augmented reality sites that merge real and virtual imagery use video that has been captured by a device’s camera and complete this process in Flash. Flash is also at the sharp end of touch screen technology and has developed a full support package for this growing area.

The next few years are going to be hugely exciting with Flash continuing to be at the forefront of Input Support technology.

3. Gaming

It’s generally accepted that consumer habits drive the uptake on various sectors on the web. Gaming is a prime example of why users download Flash in order to play their latest game. Flash supports a whole host of browser based technology that are essential for playing games. This list is by nowhere definitive but it does illustrate the broad scope to which Flash applies;

Peer-to-peer, 3D frameworks, gesture support, object-oriented programming support, RTMP and AMF protocols, fast graphic, filters contextual FPS, collision detection, full-screen layering and advanced maths calculations.
Not only does it support these technologies it does it incredibly well which is why developers love using it when working on browser based games.

Flash is here, it’s the benchmark for browser based Gaming and it’s only going to get better.


4. Interactive banners

Gone are the days when an advertiser was happy with a flat 2 dimensional banner to promote their products and services. In this new era nothing short of an all singing and all dancing interactive ad will do the job. Sites like BannerBlog are a great example of what can de done with a Flash application and they make the technology readily available and easy to use.

Flash banners have long been the choice of many advertisers and they are way more powerful than a Gif or a JPG creating adverts that are of exceptionally high quality. What’s more file sizes are only a mere 10% of video and the interactivity element means that potential clients click through or interact with the ad.

Interactive Banners that are created in Flash are powerful, grab attention and call to action.


5. Web Apps

As server based apps have advanced from the early days of web 2.0 they have needed to become more powerful. This is because consumer expectations are continually growing and the apps themselves have become far more complex.

Online apps like Picnik, Aviary, Google Apps, BannerSnack, SlideRocket can only be created in Flash; Javascript and HTML5 are just simply not up the job. That’s not forgetting that HTML5 is not even supported by the world’s most used browser: Internet Explorer.

It’s Flash all the way for Web Apps; an area that will undoubtedly continue to gain in popularity.


6. Tools. Frameworks. Components

Flash is more than just a platform. It is supported by a whole wealth of free and premium tools, components and frameworks that have been designed to make a developer’s life easier. Many of these have been formulated to satisfy a pre-determined need so this ongoing evolution is continually eradicating problems and solving issues.

In addition the programming language, AS 3.0, brings a huge amount of the OOP (object-oriented programming) and high-level programming into the browsers’ world.

This robust infrastructure of Tools, Frameworks and Components has given Flash a solid foundation that bodes extremely well for the future.

7. Safety & Protection

Safety is going to continue to be an area of massive concern especially as the internet develops over the next few years; from data protection to the safety of your computer to your company’s intellectual property. We’ve already seen numerous occurrences of security breaches and lost information that regularly make the news. Flash protects at all levels from the end user to the provider to the host.

This is because Flash movies are put together BEFORE they get published to the web meaning that all the files such as video, audio, texts, fonts and codes are safeguarded against hacks. It’s generally accepted that Flash is very difficult to hack. Its other great safety facet is that it’s unable to take over somebody’s computer or mobile. Peace of mind for developer and end user alike.

Safety & Protection are inherent with Flash.


8. Cross-Platform

As well as computers, laptops, mobile phones and tablets more and more devices are appearing on the market that are able to connect to the internet. Many of these are also able to render text and images with some running scripts / plugins such as JavaScript and Flash. The ones that are able to run Flash will unquestionably do so because this adds to their overall usability.

Due to the sheer number of different devices that will be commercially available cross-platform will without doubt be a necessity. This won’t just be for Flash but also for JavaScript, HTML, CSS, JPG, PNG, GIF, web fonts and other technologies and standards.

What works in Flash’s favour is that it is the best cross-platform technology that allows different devices on different operating systems to access and produce rich media content at the top level of performance. Devices that are unable to support Flash will soon find that they will lose their competitive edge very quickly. A prime and current example of this is how the Droid phone is leaving the iPhone 3GS in its wake.

Flash is simply the best for Cross-Platform technology.


9. The Future

Progress is fundamentally about continually improving over a period of time. This has been the case with Flash and it’s consistently outperformed its competitors on all levels over the years.

With this solid base to build upon Flash will continue to flourish in the Future


10. Community

You’re unlikely to find more creative people in one place than at a Flash conference. By its very nature Flash encourages originality, ingenuity and imagination. That’s why events like FlashOnTheBeach are such hotbeds of energy and innovation.
The Flash community is also a strong one that supports and upholds its principles.

That’s why this year’s C4 Conference that would have been held in Chicago has been put on hold in protest against Apple’s insistence upon  Section 3.1.1.

The Flash community is a strong Community.