At the IAB MIXX Conference and Expo, Adobe debuted the Adobe Flash Platform
Services for Distribution, a new service that allows advertisers and
content publishers to promote, measure and monetize applications across
social networks, desktops and mobile devices. 
Adobe Flash Platform Services are online, hosted services that allow
developers to add innovative capabilities to web applications with a
predictable, cost efficient deployment model. Developers, advertisers
and publishers are now using Adobe Flash Platform Services to make Web
applications sharable, social, and collaborative.
The Need for More Effective Application Distribution and Measuring
With the growth of social media, advertisers and publishers are looking
to more predictable and effective methods to reach audiences via social
media. There are many benefits to using sharable, social applications to
connect with customers; however, it can be difficult to get users to
install the applications. Additionally, advertisers, publishers and game
developers use distribution methods that don't support all popular
destinations and can be difficult to maintain. Many times, simply
posting applications in an app store is the mobile distribution
strategy. Rarely is an overall distribution strategy unified across the
Web and mobile, making comprehensive analytics difficult to obtain.
The new Distribution service from Adobe helps solve these challenges. Adobe
is partnering with Gigya Inc., a leading social media authentication and
distribution platform, to provide advertisers, publishers and game
makers with a comprehensive distribution solution. The solution includes
a unified management tool to effectively promote, measure and monetize
Web applications and games.
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Viral distribution by making applications sharable - Flash and
other Web applications can be distributed to most Web, desktop and
mobile platforms. The sharing feature is easily implemented, enabling
users to share applications with a single click on social networking
sites, on the desktop and mobile platforms. -
Mobile applications distribution - Web applications built with
Flash Platform tools as well as applications created with other
technologies can be distributed to multiple mobile platforms. Users
wishing to install a sharable application on a mobile device will
receive a SMS message on that device with a link to the application.
Users then click the link and the Distribution service detects the
device and delivers the version of the application that is developed
and optimized for that specific device. For information on supported
mobile platforms, visit www.adobe.com/devnet/flashplatform/services/distribution/destinations.html. -
Assuring installs through paid promotion - Application
distribution can be accelerated through paid promotion. Tens of
thousands of Web application installs are possible through a unique
paid cross-promotion model. Adobe is partnering with Gigya to provide
the free and paid methods of Web application distribution. -
Measuring success and optimizing applications through tracking -
Comprehensive traditional and social media analytics are available
through the Distribution Manager. This application, built using Adobe®
AIR® software, is to promote applications, and measure distribution
and customer usage. -
Monetization through cross-promotion - Publishers and
developers can generate revenue through cross-promotion of other Web
applications. When users click to download an application, this
feature enables publishers and developers to offer another Web
application to the user.
The Distribution Service in Action
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Wall Street Journal Radio widget
The WSJ Radio Network - which
provides audio business news reports and programs to more than 370
radio stations across the country and reaches more than 22 million
listeners per week - will provide its network affiliates with new
business news Web tools for use on their own sites as well as for
individual use. The new widget, expected to be available in the near
future, will offer content from WSJ Radio and WSJ.com, including
podcasts, live audio business news updates from The Wall Street
Journal Report and The Dow Jones Money Report, as well as updated
headlines and video, and will be available for users to view and share
via social networking sites and blogs.
Quotes
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David Wadhwani, general manager and vice president, Adobe Platform
Business Unit
"Our customers rely on the Adobe Flash Platform
to make rich and compelling applications that work across operating
systems and screens," said David Wadhwani, general manager and vice
president at Adobe. "The new services from Adobe allow Flash Platform
developers, advertisers, game makers and other content publishers to
connect with an even larger audience more effectively, and grow
revenue opportunities."
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Leo Collins, executive vice president and CIO, Lionsgate
"Lionsgate
is actively working to use the Adobe Flash Platform Services for
Distribution for media promotions," said Leo Collins, executive vice
president and CIO at Lionsgate. "We can use the service to repurpose,
distribute and track the content to our customers throughout the
content lifecycle, from theatrical release to DVD to digital
distribution. The ability to reach customers on social networks,
mobile devices and desktops makes the service especially effective."
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Brett Cortese, president, Universal Mind
"We're rich
Internet Application (RIA) experts at Universal Mind, using the Adobe
Flash Platform to develop compelling Web applications with great user
experiences - and the new Flash Platform Services are sure to add
value to the RIAs we build," said Brett Cortese, president at
Universal Mind. "The new Distribution service was easy to include in
the Wall Street Journal Radio Flash widget, and will provide their
team important information about use of the widget by tracking the Web
application's distribution across the Web, and by measuring how the
audience actually interacts with the widget."
Adobe Flash Platform Services
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Adobe Flash Platform Services are managed, hosted and maintained by
Adobe and partners, with enhanced capabilities on a pay-per-use basis. -
Learn how to use the Distribution Service and learn about other
features of the Distribution Manager in this video: www.adobe.com/devnet/flashplatform/services/distribution/index.html#video -
Later this year, Adobe will also make the Social service available,
which will enable developers to more easily connect Flash applications
with the social network of their choice including Facebook, MySpace,
Twitter and Yahoo. Developers will only need to write an application
once to provide users the choice of which social network to access
through the application. Additionally, the Social service will monitor
each social network site to ensure that changes to the network don't
break applications.
More information on Adobe Flash Platform Services for developers is
available at www.adobe.com/go/fps.