Convert Adobe Flash to HTML5 : The Ultimate Guide

With the introduction of Adobe Flash, there came a major disruption in the eLearning courseware as the black-and-white world of eLearning became a lot more colorful and visual with Adobe Flash. In a short period of time, organizations from around the world started investing heavily in Adobe Flash as it allowed them to create an interactive learning experience using multimedia content.

When the world was more into Desktops and Websites, Adobe Flash was dominating the era as it was supported by all the major browsers and was used by many industries like eLearning, gaming and all those applications that were looking for multi-media content.

The End of life Flash by 2020:

Everything that begins has an end and the Adobe Flash era will end in 2020! Here is the official statement from Adobe:

“In collaboration with several of our technology partners – including Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla, Adobe is planning to end-of-life Flash. Specifically, we will stop updating and distributing the Flash Player at the end of 2020 and encourage content creators to migrate any existing Flash content to these new open formats.”

While the statement was made in 2017, things are going as planned and there are no indications of extension or reversal in proceedings. All the major browsers like Google, Safari, Mozilla, etc. will automatically deactivate the Flash plug-in from all the installed devices in early 2020 and since Adobe will no longer release any updates, the Adobe Flash will become obsolete by the end of 2020.

Although Adobe accepted its lack of evolution in 2017, the downfall of Adobe was made certain as Steve Jobs decided to discontinue the usage of Adobe on Apple devices back in 2010! Steve Jobs observed that Adobe Flash was made only for PCs and it didn’t support smartphones that had a low battery life as well as iPads! Thus, right from 2010, Apple decided to take an alternative route of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to avoid the drawbacks of Adobe Flash and its incompetency to work on Mobile Devices.

So, to cut a long story short, all those who have any running eLearning course, game, app or design tool built or published on Adobe will no longer function. Thus, the question that remains for all those who have invested heavily in Adobe is, what are the alternatives of Adobe Flash for them?

What are the Alternatives to Adobe Flash?

As soon as the browsers deactivate the plug-ins, all the content that was built or published on Adobe Flash, will no longer be able to stream, and thus, those who are not investing in any of the Flash alternative technologies to keep the data and app intact, the only option that they would have is to retire the App or game or the course.

But for those who cannot afford to do that, the best alternative for such businesses is HTML 5! It is officially the worthy successor of Adobe Flash and not only can create more interactive content; it will also support the content in becoming mobile-friendly.

So, what is HTML 5? How does it work? Is it better than Adobe Flash? How will it affect the experience of the users? Is it feasible for all kinds of multimedia content?

What is HTML5?

HTML means Hypertext Markup Language is a language used by web developers to design the documents that need to be displayed on a web browser. And 5 in HTML5 represents the fifth generation of HTML. The language is assisted by CSS and JavaScript to make it more interactive.

How Is HTML5 Better Than Adobe Flash?

HTML5 is a standard language that works perfectly for every web platform and is not dependent on any of the third-party plug-ins or other sources. It also works perfectly for all the low battery devices like Mobiles, Smartphone, and Tablets. When any media, app or ad is published in HTML5, it becomes mobile ready and it automatically adjusts on different screen sizes.

How Can You Convert Adobe Flash Content into HTML5?

All you need to convert your already published data on Flash into HTML5 content is an efficient team of HTML5 developers with domain understanding. But, before you task the team with the job, you need to do a little digging in from your end; the things that you have to do from your end are as follows:

First and foremost, you need to classify your data into two things: relevant and irrelevant data. The relevant category will have all the data which is currently accessed by the users of the platform which needs to be retained and the other irrelevant data that is not useful for the users or the data that was integrated into the older versions and is no longer meaningful to the users, that data needs to be retired so that the developers will not have to spend time and efforts on converting irrelevant data which can heavily cost you.

Once you have the repository of all the relevant data, you will have to identify the Source files of all the data and keep them ready as the developers might need that data to convert the files. Also, the developers will need access to your platform to access the versions of Adobe Flash on which the data was published thus, you must have the FTP details of the website with all the correct credentials.

When you contain all the above information, the developers can quickly convert the data into HTML5 and they will not have to re-design the whole content which in turn saves a lot of time, efforts as well as a lot of money which would be wasted on re-developing the whole content and then publishing it by making it responsive to all kinds of devices.

By following this process, you will not have to lose any of the imperative and relevant data of your app or courseware or game and can easily retain your audience and users on the platform.

Apart from saving your data from being obsolete, below are a few additional benefits of converting your Adobe Flash Data into HTML5.

The Benefits of Using HTML5 over Adobe Flash

Skilled Resources with an Entrepreneurial Mindset:

HTML has been evolving continuously and it is in the roots of the web. Thus, for those who need skilled resources to design complex and interactive courseware content or a game that has many layers and logic to it, you can easily find capable resources as the HTML community is huge.

Constantly Evolving Platforms:

HTML5 is the fifth version of the platform and has been evolving constantly making it easier and better for developers to generate immersive and interactive content that can be published on the web. Thus, when you opt for HTML5, you get access to a platform that has an army of developers working endlessly to make the platform better.

Scalable and Mobile Responsive Content Platform:

With the rise of wearable tech and smartphones, you will need a platform that can help you publish your content on all the possible platforms as smart devices are the future of this world. And, since there are a lot of variations in screen sizes with the advent of IoT, you need a technology that can make your content responsive to all such screens and scales.

Why Flash to HTML5 Conversion is Essential for Organisations?

HTML5 Empowers Your Audience with Device Independent Learning:

While Adobe Flash was more suitable for Websites that run on desktops and laptops, HTML5 is a language that has no such boundaries. With the responsiveness of the language, learning from any device can be made possible!

HTML5 Ensures Mobility:

When you give your audience access to your content on multiple devices like Laptops, PCs, Mobiles, and others, the audience will have more options and platforms to access your content, and that mobility will give organizations a competitive edge in the market.

Give Offline Access to Your Audience:

While with Flash it was essential that your audience had access to the internet to access the content on the website when you use HTML5 as the programming language, that necessity can be eliminated and the users of the application can access content anywhere anytime! This feature alone can be a major differentiator in the market!

Smart and Cognitive Learning Experience with Complete Personalisation:

Personalization of content is the future of Learning apps! With the use of HTML5, organizations can ensure integrate different algorithms on their website and can enable personalization via cognitive methods of engagement.

Conclusion

So, instead of damaging your platform by taking the risk of waiting till Adobe becomes obsolete and then searching for an alternative, it is essential that you contact a web app development company that has skilled HTML5 resources and who can collaborate with you as your Technology Partner to help you convert your data from Adobe Flash to HTML5 and save your platform and content from falling victim to the decent of the mighty Adobe Flash.