Bsquare Has An Adobe Flash Browser Plug-In for Android Devices

Recently, we covered the announcement of HTC's Hero smartphone, and Adobe's partnership with HTC to make sure that the Hero runs Flash technology. According to Adobe, over 80 percent of all videos delivered online are based on Flash, and users of the Hero will be able to watch YouTube and other video content seamlessly on their smartphones. Now, Bsquare has announced the development of an Adobe Flash browser plug-in for ARM-based devices running Google’s Android 1.5 “Cupcake” platform. BSquare's port of Flash technology is likely to be adopted by many of the companies delivering Android-based smartphones and netbooks this year.

"The next version of Google’s Android operating system, 'Cupcake' should be attractive to a wider segment of developers,” said Larry Stapleton, Bsquare’s Vice President of Global Sales, in announcing the port. “Our Flash Platform technology browser plug-in will be valuable to OEMs building ARM-based smartbooks and to those who are developing other types of Android devices requiring a rich media experience that is fundamentally different than anything else available for users today.”

According to analysts at Strategy Analytics, Android will be the fastest growing smartphone operating system of 2009, with an estimated 900 percent growth rate over the course of the year. Strategy Analytics has also forecasted that within two or three years, Google will command most of the smartphone operating system market. That would make Android a huge open source mobile platform.

The Hero, from HTC, is likely to be the first Android-based phone to run Flash, but look for many of the Android devices coming up to work with Flash seamlessly.