Making Money with Adobe AIR

Evaluating ways to generate revenue from the Adobe Integrated Runtime. Specifically, it examines the business potential of Adobe AIR from the perspective of an RIA developer. We will show lots of examples and examine best practices for design and GUI with Adobe Air 2.0.

1. Flash and Flex Israel - Making money with Air 25-04-10

2. An interactive developer & designer specializing in Flash, Flex, Web, Adobe Air,
3D Experiences, and Mobile Devices. Working under “Almog Design” clients
include Nokia Asia, Intel Israel and a number of local to international
companies.

I’m actively involved in the community, run the Adobe user group Flash and
Flex Israel and have spoken in a number of groups and conferences.
Contributor to Flash and Flex magazine and maintains an active blog when not
creating he enjoys scuba diving and photography.

My site & blog - almogdesign.net
Twitter @almogdesign almogdesign -
Almog Koren “
AlmogDesign
” Interactive Developer &
Designer
Founded and mange “
FlashandFlexIsrael
” official Adobe User
Group

3. 1. Introduction: Adobe AIR
•What is AIR?
•Cross platform development
•Technologies and tools
•Features
•What can’t be done
•AIR API
2. Pitching AIR
•Selling points
•Cost and development
•Still no!
Agenda
Table of Contents

4. 3. Market Opportunities
•Repurpose web properties
•Widgets
•Media-rich applications
•Offline marketing / Branding
•Enterprise applications
•Casual games
•Kiosk
•Components/libraries
•Developer tools
Agenda Continued
Table of Contents

5. 3. Case Studies!
•Intel Kiosk AIR App - Kiosk
•FanBase - Branding
•TweetDeck - Social Mash up
•AOL Top 100 Videos - Media-rich applications
Agenda Continued
Table of Contents

6. Do note this presentation is based on Grant Skinner’s talk “Making Money with
Adobe AIR” presented at MAX 2008 San Francisco.
It was updated to fit the Israeli market and updates that were done on Adobe Air.
Reference (the following sites were used for reference)
http://www.adobe.com/products/air/
http://www.adobe.com/products/air/develop/flex/
http://www.adobe.com/products/air/showcase/
http://blogs.adobe.com/air/
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/air/
http://refreshingapps.com/
Disclaimer

7. INTRODUCTION

8. Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) is a cross-platform runtime environment for building rich
Internet applications leveraging current web technologies and tools.
A web browser enables a user to interact with content and applications typically located on a
website on a server. Adobe AIR builds upon capabilities and technologies used in the browser
to enable deployment of applications on the desktop.

What is AIR?
Introduction: Adobe AIR

9. The adobe AIR runtime is currently available for Mac, Windows, Linux. In the upcoming
months AIR 2.0 will also be available on Android OS, tablets mobile and much more.
Deployment is via cross platform .air file or through “badge install”, In the upcoming AIR 2 self
installer for the runtime will be available.
You can also obtain a license from Adobe to distribute the runtime in a combined installer
(http://www.adobe.com/products/air/runtime_distribution1.html), for example MDM
Inferno.


Cross Platform Development
Introduction: Adobe AIR

10. Leverage your existing experience with existing technologies
• HTML, Javascript, AJAX
• Flex, MXML
• Flash, ActionScript 3
Utilize your existing tools
• Dreamweaver
• Flash Builder 4
• Flash
• Command line compiler (ADL/ADT) FREE
Use existing libraries for ActionScript or JavaScript - Facebook API, Amazon S3 Library, AS3 Core
Library, AS3 Crypto, AS3 Notification Library, AS3 Ebay Library, Flickr API,Ribbit, Salesforce Flex Toolkit,
TweenLite, YouTube API - Develop the way you want!

Technologies and Tools
Introduction: Adobe AIR

11. Deploy engaging user experiences to the desktop - provide customized or branded user interfaces,
integrate local and network data, interact with local and network applications.
Enhance the power of RIAs - have access to a set of Adobe AIR APIs that expose desktop functionality
and resources, including local file access and storage, drag-and-drop support and more.
Achieve rapid productivity - AIR supports a flexible programming model that helps developers
achieve excellent productivity.
Easy application delivery - open echo system, develop on the AIR marketplace or on your site.
• Familiar workflow, Flexible runtime, Local file access, Embedded database, Convenient desktop APIs,
Enhanced networking, Rich multimedia and video, Multiwindow support and transparency, Cross–
operating system compatibility

Features
Introduction: Adobe AIR

12. Introduction: Adobe AIR
Features Cont.

13. Air is not a robust desktop programming environment.
Performance and memory utilization is ok, not on par with native executables.
No support for command line access, activeX or an extensibility model.
Don’t expect to develop full grown software apps.


What can’t be done
Introduction: Adobe AIR

14. AIR API
Introduction: Adobe AIR
• FileSystem access (read / write)
• Windowing
• Native menus
• Network monitoring
• Clipboard access
• Application update
• Encrypted storage /DB
• Drag and drop
• File type registration\
• Local SQL database
• Embedded HTML Control
• Application updating
• System notification / dock icons
• Background applications
• System isle detection
• TLS/SSL Sockets (Air 2.0)
• Enhanced Printer Interaction (Air 2.0)
• Native Process APIs (Air 2.0)
• Mass Storage Device Detection (Air 2.0)
• UDP Networking Support (Air 2.0)
• Socket servers and Peer-to-Peer (Air 2.0)
• Native Document Handlers to Open Document (Air 2.0)
• Enhanced drag and drop support (Air 2.0)
• Local Microphone API (Air 2.0)
• maximum window size (Air 2.0)
• New Webkit with HTML5/CSS3 (Air 2.0)

15. PITCHING AIR

16. Selling Points
Pitching AIR
• Cross platform
• Web installation and launch options
• Rich interaction, design, and content
• Multiple screen experiences
• Ability to leverage existing skills, libraries, and tools
• Rapid prototyping / iteration / development
• Network update
• Integrated media features: video, audio, microphone, webcam
• Online / Offline
• Network events and robust connection options
• Leverage AMF and Durpal, Web service and more

17. Using existing tools
by using existing tools like Flash Builder 4 or Flash there is no need to cost for development tools.
Leverage existing knowledge
no need to learn a language.
Leverage existing libraries
by using existing libraries devolvement time is dropped.

Cost and Development
Pitching AIR

18. Customers
Establish a more persistent connection with existing customers.
Brand
Deliver fully branded experiences.
Adobe
Develop and deliver RIAs efficiently using proven Adobe technology.
ROI
Increase the ROI of your web investments.
Examples
Show many examples

Still no!
Pitching AIR

19. MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

20. Because AIR is built on top of standard web technologies, it is almost trivial to migrate
them. Kuler - http://www.adobe.com/products/kuler/

Repurpose web properties
Market Opportunities

21. Easy to create simple service “mash-up” or “Social mash-up”
Fast and Furious - http://www.fastandfuriousmovie.net/

Widgets
Market Opportunities

22. Animation, interaction, photos, audio, video
Adobe Media Player - http://www.adobe.com/products/mediaplayer/

Media-Rich Applications
Market Opportunities

23. Extend to consumer’s with richly branded interactive experiences., provides a sense of
ownership that web properties do not. Time 100 -
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/marketplace/index.cfm?event=marketplace.offering&offeringid=12445

Offline Marketing / Branding
Market Opportunities

24. Critical business tools that are easy to deploy from an intranet, and are seamleassly
cross platform. Dashboards, time tracking, expense submission ect.. Klok -
http://klok.mcgraphix.com/klok/index.htm

Enterprise Applications
Market Opportunities

25. Cross platform and badge install makes AIR an obvious choice for taking games offline.
Casual Games
Market Opportunities

26. AIR id a good platform for richly interactive kiosk experiences. Full screen, touch,
network, remote update, logging, media integration.
Kiosk
Market Opportunities

27. Large potential market selling libraries to other developers.
Doc? http://www.airdoc.be/
Components/Libraries
Market Opportunities

28. AIR makes it easy to rapidly write one-off utility applications to generate/manage files
and automate tasks. aSnippet - http://asnippet.com/blog/
Developer Tools
Market Opportunities

29. CASE STUDIES!

30. Intel Kiosk AIR App
Case Studies!

PC based kiosk app, touch screen, network, AMF + drupal, MDM inferno combined
installer distribution.

31. FanBase - Branding
Case Studies!

Atlantic Record’s FanBase application connects for their favorite bands. It provides value
to the user, and extends the brand onto the desktop.

32. TweetDeck – Widget/Social Mash up
Case Studies!

TweetDeck offers user a simple app to track there twitter account from the desktop. PC,
mac and mobile versions.

33. AOL Top 100 Videos - Media-Rich Applications
Case Studies!

AOL top 100 provides a rich media experience for users.

34. THANK YOU