Adobe has just announced major partnerships with chip-makers and media companies to include Flash technology on new chips and for Flash to be integrated into content channels such as Netflix and Disney. Flash has long been the technology standard for rich media delivery on the web (98% of computers) although companies like Microsoft and Apple have tried hard to limit the adoption of Flash in an effort to promote their own technologies. Owning the technology platform for rich media delivery to television screens could be a very big deal. Here’s why:

1. There is no standard for rich media delivery on television today. There have been many attempts at building ‘interactive tv’ but they have all been closed system projects that have never caught on. Whoever delivers and owns the standard will be able to control and influence the experience.

2. Google has to be on television screens if it is to maintain it’s market dominance. If Adobe owns a key piece of the technology they also have an opportunity to own / influence the advertising model – especially as it pertains to combining various types of web content and entertainment. Adobe could conceivably become the ‘Google’ of the home screen if they can a) effectively integrate content search into their service offering and,  b) buy or develop an ad network that they can seamlessly integrate into their flash delivery platform. (YouTube won’t help Google if it’s the place where all the crappy content exists.)

3,  Advertising will change forever. The promise of multi-casting and unicast content (bandwidth and technology hurdles notwithstanding), truly targeted/customized information and entertainment content, interactive TV and other new technologies will change how businesses interact with their audiences. Thirty second commercials broadcast to unseen masses will have no relevance.

4. Converged screens will have effect on lifestyles. The TV screen and computer screens, to some degree, will begin to merge. You’ll begin to do more ‘lean forward’ stuff in your family den just as many people are now doing more ‘lean back’ stuff on their family computers.

5. Hulu and other entertainment channels will be able to compete directly with network tv. This is the big game-changer bringing the promise of ‘what I want when I want it’ much closer.

6. Even more integration with all home devices. A truly interactive TV built on a platform that already has a huge ecosystem (flash developers and, more recently Adobe AIR) will provide new opportunities to integrate all home devices – not just entertainment through any interface (your TV, computer or smart phone depending when you need it.)

7. Apple, Google, Microsoft, Cisco and everyone else who is trying to ‘own’ the home experience had better start scrambling. Apple will surely bring out their ’ iHome’  (a 52″ plasma iPhone) in the next year but they will be playing catch-up (not that playing catch-up has really been a problem for them in the past…)

8. Gaming platforms will be challenged when simple unbranded computing devices (processors, hard drives etc) start to get attached to televisions. Gaming hardware platforms will become irrelevant if development standards coalesce around flash delivered through a generic processor (supplied cheaply/free by your Internet provider.)

9. Disintermediation of every entertainment intermediary is a possibility. Want a movie – download it directly from the studio. Want a game – download it directly from the game producer. Things are moving in this direction already, but ubiquitous flash will hasten this transition.

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