The distributable player solution enables developers to create rich applications for the latest version of Adobe® Flash Lite® and directly distribute their content to millions of open OS smartphones, providing a better on-device user experience.
Benefits
Since the distributable player solution mimics the successful Adobe Flash® Player desktop model of content-triggered downloads, you can be confident that your users’ devices will always have the latest Flash Lite runtime.
Plus, the distribution model enables you to deliver free or paid applications to millions of open OS smartphones, through direct-to-consumer distribution or your existing distribution channels, or via Adobe’s aggregator partners, such as GetJar.
Finally, this solution gives end users a better experience by providing intuitive discovery and installation of Flash Lite applications. Consumers using supported Windows Mobile and S60 phones in supported countries can easily download applications. (Additional countries will be added over time.) After downloading an application, consumers see its user-friendly icon in the device menu.
Download the distributable player solution now
Discuss the distributable player solution in the forumsWhat it is
The distributable player solution consists of the following components:
Flash Lite 3.1 Distributable Player. Flash Lite 3.1 includes the same features as Flash Lite 3.0, such as support for Flash Player compatible video, with some additional enhancements including improved security model for SWF file access. The solution delivers a standalone player for applications, without affecting the Flash Lite browser plug-in or pre-installed standalone player, if present.
Adobe Mobile Packager. The Adobe Mobile Packager is a desktop tool to wrap a SWF application with a player version checker, an icon, and metadata into an installable file for user-friendly discovery on S60 and Windows Mobile devices. The resulting output file is recognizable by S60 (.SIS) and Windows Mobile (.CAB) operating systems, acting essentially like .ZIP or .AIR files.
Authoring support is provided via Adobe Flash CS4 Professional and Adobe Device Central CS4 with corresponding updates, or via Adobe Flash CS3 Professional and Adobe Device Central CS3.
How it works
Take advantage of the distributable player solution in these basic steps.
1. Create
Create and test your Flash Lite application using Adobe Flash CS4 Professional and Adobe Device Central CS4 (with corresponding updates below), or Adobe Flash CS3 Professional and Adobe Device Central CS3.
- Get Adobe AIR 1.5 update for Flash CS4 Professional
- Get Flash Lite 3.1 update for Device Central CS4
2. Package
Use the Adobe Mobile Packager to wrap your SWF file with an icon, metadata, and a version checker that downloads the latest Flash Lite player over the air.
3. Distribute
Reach millions of users with direct-to-consumer distribution, or leverage the marketing reach and billing services of off-deck aggregator partners.
Watch instructional videos for the Distributable Player on YouTube.com.
4. Discover
After downloading, your end users can discover your Flash application through a visual icon just like other applications on the device.
Getting Started
Follow these steps to get started with distributable player solution:
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Download the Adobe Mobile Packager
Important: Installing the Adobe Mobile Packager means you have accepted the terms of the Adobe Software Licensing Agreement. This is beta software.
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Download the Flash Lite 3.1 Distributable Player to test your applications
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Ask questions and share your feedback in the Flash Lite Distributable Player forum
Please note that your submission of comments, ideas, feature requests and techniques on this and other Adobe maintained forums, as well as Adobe's right to use such materials, is governed by the Terms of Use.
Community
Below you'll find references and links to help you participate in the Flash for mobile & devices community.
Online Forum
Use the mobile and devices support forums to find information about existing features or updates, get answers to your questions, request new features or report bugs.
Please note that your submission of comments, ideas, feature requests and techniques on this and other Adobe maintained forums, as well as Adobe's right to use such materials, is governed by the Terms of Use.
Weblog
Check out what members of the Adobe community are blogging.
Read Mark Doherty's Flash Mobile Blog
Developer Center
Read more about developing for the Flash Platform on mobile and devices within the Adobe Developer Connection.
Visit the Mobile & Devices Developer Center
Support
Support for Developers
Developers have the following support options for the distributable player solution:
- Purchase single-incident e-mail-based support with a four-business-hour turnaround for US$249. Call 800-685-3510.
- Purchase unlimited-incident e-mail-based support with a one-business-day turnaround as part of the Mobile Developer Support plan through the Adobe Store.
Support for Consumers
See Flash Lite Support for frequently asked questions. For additional free e-mail support for problems in installing the Flash Lite 3.1 Distributable Player, end users should send an e-mail to mob-supp@adobe.com (expect a one-business-day turnaround).
For a Flash Lite application that an end user downloads from an aggregator catalog, Adobe expects the developer to offer support to the end user once the application is successfully installed on the device. Adobe would look to the aggregator to provide support in cases where the end user encounters problems in downloading the application (versus the Flash Lite 3.1 Distributable Player).
Resources
If you want to learn more about releases on Labs as well as other Adobe technologies, visiting a user group or connecting with an Adobe Community Expert is a great place to start.
Product Details
Documentation
The documentation describes how to develop for the distributable player.
- Using Mobile Packager documentation (English)
- Using Mobile Packager documentation (Spanish)
- Using Mobile Packager documentation (Italian)
FAQ
- What is the distributable player solution?
- The distributable player solution enables developers to create rich applications for the latest version of Flash Lite and directly distribute to millions of open OS smartphones in supported countries with a much improved on-device user experience. The distributable player solution consists of the Flash Lite 3.1 Distributable Player, Adobe Mobile Packager, authoring support provided via Adobe Flash CS4 Professional and Adobe Device Central CS4 or via Adobe Flash CS3 Professional and Adobe Device Central CS3.
- What devices will be supported by the distributable player solution? Will feature phones be supported?
- Because it is a solution for off-deck rich application distribution, the distributable player will be supported on smartphones with open operating systems which allow Over-The-Air (OTA) software downloads. At launch, the solution will be supported on Adobe tested devices based on Windows Mobile 5 for Smartphones, Windows Mobile 6 Standard/Professional, S60 3rd Edition, S60 3rd Edition feature pack 1, and S60 3rd Edition feature pack 2 devices platforms. The goal is to expand support to other open platforms in the future.
A list of supported devices is maintained on Adobe Labs. We will certify additional devices over time, prioritizing the most popular devices for the above mentioned platforms. - What are the benefits of deploying a Flash Lite application with the distributable player solution?
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The distributable player solution allows you to create rich mobile applications that:
- Target the latest Flash Lite player, by mimicking the successful Flash Player desktop model of content triggered downloads but for applications. Developers no longer need to worry about whether the device has the latest Flash Lite runtime.
- Reach millions of open OS smartphone users in supported countries and through free direct-to-consumer distribution, new off-deck aggregator partners or your existing distribution channels.
- Improve end user experience through easy installation and visual icons for Flash Lite applications.
By using Flash Lite, you can deliver rich, expressive applications across platforms with a streamlined workflow and reduced time to market.
- Will a developer need to pay for using the distributable player solution?
- The distributable player solution is being offered as a free service to developers at this time.
- What are the options for distributing content?
- Developers can take advantage of the marketing reach and billing services provided by new off-deck aggregator partners. Between these partners developers have coverage across all launch markets for their content and applications. Developers also have the choice to distribute their apps directly to consumers or through any other aggregator or channel that delivers Symbian or Windows Mobile applications to consumers in supported countries.
- How does a consumer discover an application provided through the distributable player solution?
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There are several ways that a consumer can discover an application, and this depends on the developer or content provider's choice of distribution and marketing channels. Depending on the distribution channel, some examples of how the consumer may discover the application are:
- Catalog of one of our Aggregator partners
- Your own/the aggregator/other distribution channel desktop or mobile website
- A print or TV ad, with an SMS shortcode or web address
See answers to more frequently asked questions
System Requirements
A list of supported devices for the distributable player is available within the Adobe Labs wiki.
Minimum system requirements for the Adobe Mobile Packager system are:
- Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4 tested with Windows XP SP2
- 1 GHz Pentium-class processor
- 256 MB of memory
- 450 MB of free disk space
See the release notes for additional information
Release Notes
This release of distributable player solution is prerelease software. The software contained within the installer is not yet complete; but, many features of the technology are fully implemented and ready for you to try and discuss.
