Adobe Flash was THE multimedia software tool used for rich media production and viewing. The initial developer of the software was FutureWave Software, then Macromedia took over until Adobe purchased the software in 2005 and continued development.
Back in July 2017, Adobe announced that it would cease updating and distributing Flash in 2020. The deadline is upon us and the official end of life for Flash is December 31, 2020. The decision to end Adobe Flash is due to the open standards that have hit the market and continue to mature over the years:
HTML5
WebGL
WebAssembly
Also, major browser vendors integrated these open standards into their browsers while deprecating plug-ins like the Flash Player.
Flash was used extensively in eLearning courses and was the software backbone for the eLearning industry. It is estimated that nearly 75% of animation and video content found on the Internet was reliant on Flash technology to some extent in the mid 2000s.
What if You Still Have Flash-based eLearning Courses?
Some organizations still have Flash-based courses or Flash-based training embedded in their legacy content. If that training material is NOT converted prior to December 31, 2020, the content will no longer be accessible in desktop browsers or on mobile devices. If you still have the source files used to create the content and the software used to develop the training material, you may be able to simply re-export to HTML5 and your problem is solved!
If you do not have the source files and original software, we can help! Contact DCL today and we can ensure your training materials continue to instruct well into the future.