May 11th, 2006
Adobe's Apollo - The Next Step in Rich Internet Applications
CNet’s News.com had an article today which provided more information on Adobe’s upcoming Apollo than I’d ever seen. Apollo has been billed as a new version of Macromedia’s Central, but I think that description is only half right. Apollo could very well be the next big thing to happen to Rich Internet Applications.
courtesy of Keith Peters
The premise is quite simple: Adobe wants to give developers the ability to deploy applications on the desktop using languages they are already familiar in. The goal is to provide access to underlying operating system functionality and expose them through JavaScript or ActionScript APIs. It’s an ambitious task, but if successful, could change the way we think about RIAs. This is definitely a push to break Flash out of the web browser and provide additional functionality for developers. That added functionality will be a boon for developers. It should attract traditional application developers to the new medium and increase visibility for RIAs.
One of the key parts of Apollo is the applications will function both when the users are connected to the internet and when they aren’t. Whatever work they do while offline would then be transmitted when they go back online. If Adobe can pull this particular part of Apollo off, the business case for Apollo becomes very strong.
courtesy of Keith Peters
If Apollo can deliver on it’s goals, and it gets close to the ubiquity of the Flash Player than everyone from small, independent developers to big software shops will take notice. The tantalizing idea of deploying a Rich Internet Application, which can seamlessly make the jump between offline and online, will be too good to pass up.
Ryan Stewart, a Rich Internet Application developer and industry analyst, recently joined Adobe's Platform Team as a Rich Internet Application Evangelist. full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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