Macromedia Flash is on its way to many a device near you, according to NEC subsidiary Vibren Technologies. Expect to see Flash at work in everything from point-of-sale (POS) terminals to children’s toys.

In June of 2004, Vibren made a deal with Macromedia to distribute and support orders for Embedded Macromedia Flash Player licenses for embedded devices in quantities as low as 1,000 and as high as 200,000. According to Vibren, there had previously been a minimum order volume of 100,000.

Vibren has since contributed to an exponential increase in the volume of Flash projects on embedded devices. Vibren has optimized one of the fastest microprocessors in the world to run Flash. Tablet PCs have been turned into research devices, personal organizers, and replacements for the desktop PC, while price-checking systems have been transformed into POS stations capable of cross-selling. Stock traders will soon have a mobile device for gathering real-time data and make decisions on the trading floor. Airlines are in the process of expanding passenger entertainment choices with small-screen devices. Many businesses are replacing posters and newsletters with LCD displays that can communicate targeted and time-sensitive messages.

“Our current experience tells us that the market for non-PC devices that use Flash is just starting to take off,” says Tom DeSisto, Vibren’s vice president of business development. “Embedded technology is becoming pervasive for so many consumer and industrial products. The simplicity and richness of a Flash interface makes devices more user-friendly and enhances the customer’s experience with rich content."