Five reasons to use Flash

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Five reasons to use Flash
By Erik Botsford
2003-05-07

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Flash has seen its ups and downs, but with the release of FlashMX, the platform is now a stable, cross-platform solution for Web site development.

Macromedia Flash continues to be one of the most heavily used rich media platforms for Web site development on the Internet. However, Flash’s reputation has seen its ups and downs. Its very name has often been accused of saying it all: glitz, speed, and not much substance. While this may have been true in the past, when Flash-based “brochureware” appeared on many major sites, the new iteration of Flash is changing the way companies develop Web sites.

With the recent release of FlashMX, Macromedia has added significant functionality to expand Flash’s use in Web applications and database-integrated interfaces. This new direction means that companies can now consider Flash as a stable, cross-platform solution for delivering engaging Internet experiences.

Today, Flash applications offer the reach, accessibility and ease of deployment of browser-based applications; the robust interfaces and functionality we’ve come to expect from desktop applications; and the rich palette of design and animation that are Flash’s traditional strength.

Five reasons to consider the Flash development platform for delivering content:

Advanced Flash application development capabilities-Flash offers benefits beyond clean interfaces and smooth interactivity. Flash MX added significant capabilities that expand its potential as a dynamic web application platform. For example, Flash remoting allows Flash frontends to be tied into backend systems and web services.
High-quality graphics and page display- High-quality animations and transitions between sections of content are the most obvious benefits of using Flash, providing users with smooth, seamless interactive experiences.
Efficient, lightweight files -Flash allows designers and developers to strike a balance between rich graphical presentation and functionality and lightweight file sizes.
Increased accessibility and usability -Flash movies can now be tagged with text comments accessible to screen readers and other assistive devices. New scripting methods can detect the presence of an active assistive device on a user’s system, allowing specific content to be targeted to users with disabilities.
Deep penetration of Flash Player -Today 98% of browsers in use have some version of the Flash Player installed. Today, the vast majority of users are able to access Flash content without any downloads or installations.

Erik Botsford is Senior Interface Developer at IT consultant SBI and Company. SBI recently used Flash for the Ford Centennial website (www.ford.com), winner of a Golden Web and a WMA WebAward. Erik can be reached at ebotsford@sbiandcompany.com.

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