Adobe defends itself against HTML5 and Flash critics

HTML5 will not mean the end of Flash, says Adobe

Flash will not be killed off by the cold shoulder from Apple nor the introduction of HTML5, according to Adobe's platform business unit director of technology and technological strategy.

Anup Murarka told attendees at the MobileBeat 2010 conference that the company will continue to develop Flash as a platform to work alongside and supplement the emerging HTML standard.

"Flash and HTML have lived together for 10-plus years and we have always been able to find areas where Flash can do things beyond HTML," he said. "It is up to us to continue to keep innovating."

Murarka also addressed the company's confrontation with Apple over the inclusion of Flash on the iPhone, and the notion that a shunning from Apple could spell the end of the platform on the mobile web.

"In the US we get very focused on the iPhone," he said, noting the recent success of the Android platform. "It is a great product, but not the only one out there."

Murarka also talked about concerns raised by Apple and others that Flash is a drain on handset battery life.

Adobe has been working with silicon vendors in the past two years to improve power consumption, he said, claiming that it is "much better" than it had been two years ago.

In the long-term, Muraka said that Adobe will continue to expand from its traditional creative professional market and appeal to users with more traditional developer skills.

Additionally, Muraka expects Flash to receive a boost from the growing pains of HTML5 and other emerging web development platforms.

"The moment people start to have issues and see it is going to affect their business, they are going to look again," he said.