Adobe CEO: Apple war is over

gallery

The war of words between Adobe and Apple over Flash use on iPhone and iPad devices appears to have come to a close.

Adobe chief executive (CEO) Shantanu Narayen told delegates at the All Things Digital conference the feud was no longer an issue as people could get Flash content to work on Apple devices if they wished anyway.

Apple still prevents Flash content to run within browsers on its mobile devices, but there is a workaround to make Flash content work on the likes of the iPhone.

Applications can be built using Flash but then converted into an iOS app using an Adobe software tool.

Narayen said the argument was not over technology, but was about Apple’s willingness to control its platform.

“It’s become fairly clear to a lot of people that it isn’t about the technology, it’s about a business model issue and it’s about control of a platform,” Narayen said.

“It’s the control of applications and the App Store.”

He praised Apple for its iOS platform, saying Steve Jobs and Co had done a “wonderful job” of creating a leading operating system.

“We will work around any arbitrary obstacles that are imposed in our way,” Narayen added.

The Apple and Adobe spat rumbled on through last year, developing into an openness issue with strong words on both sides.

There will be 130 million mobile devices that will have Flash by the end of the year, Narayen said.

As for HTML5, he told the conference Adobe was actively supporting the development of the standard.

“To get the aesthetics and the design that people want in these applications, Adobe will contribute our typographic expertise and our design aesthetics,” Narayen added.

He confirmed Adobe would create tools to help people use HTML5, even though it will be a competitor to Flash.

Our own investigation found playing Flash video on an iOS device could shorten battery life.

Email to a friend

Print this page