Adobe Flash usage has been declining for quite some time, and the main reasons why is flash going away is due to lengthy load times and ever-increasing security vulnerabilities.
Adobe is now acknowledging its product’s ailment and is officially encouraging developers to “build with new web standards” like HTML 5. It is also renaming it as Animate CC, which essentially divorces the application from Adobe’s related product of Flash Professional CC.
Is Adobe Flash Going Away?
While this announcement is little more than a nod to the inevitable relegation of Flash to the age of technological dinosaurs, it does serve a purpose for Adobe.
This allows Adobe to focus its promotion efforts of Flash Professional CC and any other animation products set for release in the future without getting tied up in all of the downsides of its old Flash application. With Flash Professional CC already being capable of producing content in HTML 5, it is in a good position to grow as a general animation tool in its own right. In fact, Adobe reports that approximately one third of the output created from Professional CC is in the more user-friendly HTML 5.
When is Flash Going Away?
On December 31, 2020 Adobe will stop updates and distribution of Adobe Flash.
This announcement and plan of action from Adobe does not, however, mean it will be completely gone.
It will take time for websites to completely switch from this to other animation tools, and there are certain areas, such as in gaming, where it is still the industry standard.
Consequently, Adobe will still offer its support, but this support will likely be in the form of security patches until other products evolve to meet future needs.
For more on Adobe products, review How to Secure a PDF using Adobe Acrobat.
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