Adobe's primary concern is preservation of market share, especially since they paid a hefty 3.4 Billion for Macromedia (stock swap though it may have been). Adobe must realize that Flash will eventually be replaced - now it's a question of how quickly.
I'm going to say something that a lot of advertising people (interactive folks especially) don't like to hear. Flash needs to go away. It's had a long and glorious run, but it's about over in my opinion. The endless custom video players, interactive ads that don't really do anything useful or interesting, and overly-creative websites are old. Since 2009 the web has really been about information; getting to it quickly, on any platform, and engaging in an experiences with others. Flash isn't necessary for any of this. Gaming is probably the best contender, but other options are quickly making Flash games inconvenient and expensive to produce and maintain.
What do you think? Is Apple on the money with their decision to move away from Flash, or are they making a critical mistake? How do you feel - as a designer, programmer, or interactive project manager - about having to get on the grind to learn the next big thing?
One thing is for certain, Adobe isn't going to go quietly into the night...
Nick Kinports (@ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.
