Adobe thinks fast with new HTML5 editor

A rapid shift in business strategy has resulted in Adobe becoming the first provider of a professional-level editing tool for the HTML5 standard.

The company, once an unthreatened champion of web animation, has moved fast to launch a preview of its Edge design tool. The editor, which is free for developers to preview, allows customers to animate interactive HTML5 web pages.

The move comes as Adobe’s flagship product, Flash, faces a challenging future with Apple outright blocking the popular format across its entire line of mobile devices.

Adobe says that Edge is a premier editing tool for developers and animators looking to develop in HTML5, but insists there is still a big future for Flash, and that both products can work side-to-side.

The new tool is available on PC and Mac. Adobe insists it will try to update its tech to meet the rapid changes of the HTML5 standard.

Farhan Mirza, principal at AT Kearney, said Edge marks “an important reinvention to keep Adobe in the new world”.

“Although Edge has been under public review for almost a year, the launch of v1.0 has come a bit earlier than expected. Which is good because developers need certainty on the products and tools they will invest in and use,” he added.

“Edge is an authoring tool that creates a Flash like environment for animation-something that developers will recognise and adapt to quite easily. And which plays to Adobe’s strengths from its Illustrator and Photoshop products.

“Although Flash has a limited shelf-life in the HTML5 world, Edge will keep it alive ‘in spirit’ for a lot longer.”