Reasons Why There Is No Avoiding the Flash to HTML5 Conversion

If you have Flash-based content that you want to be available until 2020 and beyond, now is time to act. This past July, Adobe has announced that they will be discontinuing Flash in 2020. True, it has been rarely used in the past few years, but it limped along on older computers and browsers that did not support the HTML5 technology. The main reasons Flash has managed to maintain a presence all these years is because:

It is still widely used by older web-browsers that do not support HTML5

Many internet users are still using browsers that only partially support or do not support HTML5 at all. Many of these surfers use Internet Explorer 6.0 and it could take a few years for them to update to web-browsers that fully support HTML5. A lot of people only update programs when they absolutely need to.

Mobile devices supporting Flash

Android devices support Flash in mobile browsers up to Android v4.0. Many iPad and Android apps are also currently Flash-based, especially ones that have been around for a while, regardless of how much they have been updated.

Tools to convert Flash to HTML5 are still limited

The absence of an easy conversion process from Flash to HTML5 inhibits the development of HTML5 versions of complex Flash apps, games and platforms due to the investment required.

When you look at it from the opposite side, HTML5 is compatible with all the latest operating systems and major browsers. It is fast becoming the de facto choice to share content and applications online with a global audience. HTML5’s cross platform compatibility, coupled with multimedia support, makes it necessary for publishers to convert Flash to HTML5 for an enriched reading and browsing experience.

It is becoming apparent that eLearning ventures and developers have little choice but to start converting Flash-based courses into HTML5 through conversion tools. Here are some other reasons why there is no way to avoid the Flash to HTML5 conversion.

Rise in the usage of smartphone

Interactive and video-based training content is increasing and being widely used by smartphone users. Flash, which is not supported by upgraded Android devices and iOS systems, has a huge disadvantage when compared to HTML5. Flash is not fully compatible with touch screen devices. On the other hand, HTML5 allows for the creation of courses on all screen sizes and devices, making it easier to reach to a wider audience.

Support across multiple browsers

If users want to access Flash-based courses and multimedia content, they cannot do so without downloading a Flash plug-in. On the flip side, files developed in HTML5 can be accessed on any of the leading browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer.

Trouble-free multimedia integration

Converting Flash Videos to HTML5 makes them easily accessible to all the platforms and browsers. Videos developed in Flash face the “black box” issue, which needs a plug-in to be played.

Offline storage of data

HTML5 supports offline storage, which means that the content can be accessed when in the offline state. On the other hand, Flash does not support offline storage, making it restrictive for many users.

HTML5 has an open structure

HTML5 is an open standard, meaning it makes HTML5 a solution with better customization capabilities. Developers can simply change the code and make any type of changes to the file design that they wish.

The content created by converting Flash to HTML5 will be satisfying the greater usability demands of the different screen dimensions of mobile devices and desktops. HTML5 contents can also be made lightweight to support even low-end mobile devices, only consuming the optimal device resources. Now is the time to begin transforming all your current Flash content to HTML5 to keep up with mobile technology.