'With Flash technology, a mobile phone is now more than just a device for communication'

To begin with, why did Adobe decide to go mobile?

Well, as everyone knows, in the last one-decade, two business sectors-IT
and Telecom, have grown with a pace like no other. Adobe is a pioneer in content
creation technology, which has redefined business and entertainment in the last
two decades, but as demand for digital content increased in leaps and bounds,
Adobe thought of going beyond desktops and to deliver contents to any digital
device.

Did this idea come up after the acquisition of
Macromedia or the other way round? And how will this acquisition help Adobe?

No it was in the mind prior to the acquisition. Acquiring Macromedia will
accelerate Adobe's strategy of delivering an industry-defining technology
platform that would provide more powerful solutions for engaging people with
digital information. This platform would meet a broader set of customer needs
than either company might have found it difficult to address on its own. And,
through the enormous reach of Adobe software and the Macromedia Flash Player, we
will have access to a larger total addressable market and significant long-term
growth opportunities-especially in emerging areas such as mobility, the
enterprise, and the Web.

How does Flash add value to mobile users?

Well, Flash is a powerful content creation tool. Till date majority of the
mobile users use the phone mainly for voice calls, and as far as data services
are concerned, they restrict themselves to messaging services. But now with
Flash technology, users would consider the device more than that of just a
device for communication.

Who are the main operators deployed in the Asia-Pacific
region to carry out this solution, and what is the success rate?

KDDI, NTT DoCoMo, and Vodafone KK are the operators in APAC and there are
more than 2 mn subscribers signed up for NTT DoCoMo service in Japan alone,
since its launch in last September. So, the response is overwhelming.

What is Adobe's India plan?

Well, telecom industry in India is moving faster than any other country in
Asia, if growth rate is considered. We are having talks with various Indian
operators to provide this service. We have a big dream for and with India.

This solution for mobiles is at its infant stage. How
long do you see it taking to be commonplace?

Awareness is what is needed to bring something to commonplace. Take the
example of India, here it is being claimed that mobile subscription crossed this
milestone, but in comparison to its population, still it can be said, it is too
low. And most of the users use only voice service, because they are not quite
aware of the other utilities of the device and services. But the picture is not
quite far.

Will this technology be shipped with the handsets or
will operators be the providers?

First of all, handsets have to be built flash-enabled to carry out the
technology. It has to be pre-installed. Once the technology is installed with
the handsets, users can use the services independent of operators, as they can
download the services from various websites.

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