For Immediate Release
MACROMEDIA ANNOUNCES FREE FLASH PLAYER SOURCE CODE
Extends Flash Standard to Next-Generation of Web-Enabled Devices,
Bringing High-Impact Flash Interfaces to all Online Consumers
San Francisco, Calif. – Macromedia International User Conference ’99
-May 24, 1999- Macromedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: MACR) today announced plans
to license at no charge the source code for its popular Flash(TM)
Player for inclusion in upcoming hardware and software platforms.
Already installed in more than 100 million Web browsers according to
a recent third party study, Flash is the Web’s most widely
distributed interactive media player and the standard format for high
impact, vector-based Web sites. Many leading companies, including
Citibank, PepsiCola, DaimlerChrysler, and Nestle are using Flash to
create beautiful, effective sites. In addition, several key platform
providers, such as Microsoft, Apple, Netscape Communications Corp.,
America Online, @Home Network, WebTV, and Real Networks include Flash
with currently shipping products. This list is growing, as
established powerhouses such as Sega and newcomers including wireless
Internet appliance start-up Qubit plan to include the Flash Player in
upcoming devices.
Because of its small code footprint, compact file size, broad
distribution, and unique scalability, the Flash Player is ideal for
displaying Web content on both desktop machines and Internet
appliances. Today’s announcement means that any future browser,
platform, and Web-enabled device can offer Flash playback
capabilities. As a result, developers can focus on designing
high-quality Flash content once and know that it will perform
flawlessly across the range of supported platforms. Consumers will
enjoy bandwidth-efficient, attractive Flash interfaces on any device
from which they choose to access the Internet.
“Moving to a free licensing model for the Flash Player source is
significant for both Macromedia and the industry,” said Rob Burgess,
chairman and CEO of Macromedia. “A new Web infrastructure is emerging
as new devices and services – both broadband and narrowband – must
deliver compelling experiences to an exploding number of Web
consumers. By making the Flash Player source freely available and
working closely with our partners such as @Home, Real Networks, and
Apple, we will make it easy for everyone to view high-impact Flash
interfaces, animations and interactive programming.”
“As a company committed to open standards, Sun supports Macromedia’s
decision to make the Flash player source code freely available to the
multimedia developer community,” said Jon Kannegaard, vice president
and general manager of the Java Platform at Sun Microsystems’ Java
Software. “Sun looks forward to applications from innovative
developers who blend the power of our Java media API’s into the
Flash Player environment.”
“Our designers are always looking for technologies to improve the
effectiveness of our service,” said Josef Mandelbaum, vice president
of Interactive Marketing at American Greetings. “Now that the Flash
Player is installed in nearly all of the browsers, we are basing our
next-generation greeting cards on Flash. It gives us interactivity
and design richness that simply wasn’t possible before. With the
source now available for free, other platforms will embrace it,
expanding our market and our reach.”
A Trend Toward Flash Ubiquity
The Flash Player is already the Web’s most widely distributed
interactive media player. A recent study by research firm King,
Brown, & Partners indicated that approximately 77 percent of Web
consumers, or more than 100 million people, can currently view Flash
content without needing to download a plug-in.
In 1998, Macromedia published the specifications for the Flash file
format, enabling any vendor to create software applications that
output Flash content. Today’s move takes Flash ubiquity a step
further by allowing all platform and device designers to incorporate
the ability to play Flash content in future versions of browsers,
operating systems, portals, and devices.
Macromedia is preparing a Flash Software Development Kit (SDK), which
will be available later this year at www.macromedia.com. Until then,
developers wishing to license the Flash Player code should email
flash_source@macromedia.com.
About Macromedia
Macromedia’s mission is to add life to the Web. By providing its
award-winning Web Publishing, Web Entertainment, and Web Learning
solutions to Web designers, consumers, and the enterprise, Macromedia
is delivering a completely new generation of Internet tools and
technologies designed to transform the Web experience. Headquartered
in San Francisco, Macromedia (NASDAQ: MACR) has more than 500
employees worldwide and is available on the Internet at
http://www.macromedia.com.
For more information, contact:
Macromedia
Andrea Coffey
andrea@macromedia.com
(415) 252-2260