I-Mode opinions

I-Mode is a NTTDocomo' service born in 1999.
It uses Flash Lite 1.x so you understand why I talk about it here ;)
Some info on Adobe website.

At this time, it is used in 16 countries and 47.6millions users

Since I-Mode is available in France throught Bouygues Telecom, I thought it could be a way to use Flash Lite.

Unfortunatly, the results are not that good :
- 2 companies (KPN & MTS) seems to close their IMode service soon because the benefits aren't enought
- Docomo was unable to access India throught Hutch Essar
- no North America's operator, no South America's operator, no Canada operator
- I didn't find any news of I-Mode update for FL2.x support

So, for me, it's useless to focus ONLY on I-Mode.
A company needs to work on others services, or work a lot for Japan!

anyway, there is a chance my wife's next mobile will support I-Mode ;)

Prototyping

Another use of Flash Lite : prototyping.

Let's say you have a complexe Symbian application to release.
You can easily make a prototype (UI, clickstream, etc..) in Flash Lite for validation.

I2 Tecnologia proposes it for example.

Analyse from Handango's Flash contents

I wanted to wait some weeks before to do it but someone already did it

Mariam posted an intersting point of view of current Flash Lite content available on Handango

I think wallpaper and screensaver can't be sold so much. People will say 'but it needed a lot of art works!". Yes, it's hard to find the equality between quality and price, but it's a reality : who want to pay 5$ for a wallpaper ?!

Yes, I'm alright with her analyse (low cost Flash Lite content).
So another analyse need to be done :

The main goal of this blog is to find a way, if any, to make money with Flash Lite content.
More than before, I'm sure business applications are the only way.
Perhaps games too, but you need to follow the GameLoft way : licence games, which need to be paid.

Let's be honest, the possibility to release a mega hit casual game is very small.
A company living with wallpapers, screensavers and games need to release a lot of them : minimum cost for maximum benefits.

Now or later

It's now clear.
Although Flash Lite 2 is available since March '06, there are still very few devices which support it.
A lot of developers still work on Flash 1.1, waiting for mass Flash Lite 2.x supported devices released.

So here I am, I'll study Flash Lite 2.x (+ XHTML Basic and CSS) from now, waiting for the same thing ;)
In fact, all is under Adobe's makerting force hands !

I'm waiting for my FL2.0 capable (not enabled) phone, I'll so be able to write my case studies in some weeks.

Next step

I finally finished Friends of ED book...
Very interesting, I even found informations I was not waiting for in a book : extend Flash Lite (via python, symbian C++) and packaging/distributing.

In fact, the only info I missing is "how to do you create and distribute content for several devices with differents screen size ?"
It seems Device Central could help it... I'll wait for the trial version to check that.

So, enought theory, let's go practice!! I'm waiting for my 5200 but for the first tries, I'll use the emulators (Flash, Nokia SDK, Sony Er. SDK)

Mobitween

Just after the "Preview New and Exciting Mobile Workflows in Creative Suite 3" eSeminar, I contacted the great guys from Adobe.
They gave me a link to Mobitween, which is the only french Adobe Flash Lite Solution Partner.
It was a great surprise to find that their main projects were games!

It was a pleasure to talk briefly with them.
It's really a company I would like to break into!
Perhaps later, who knows ?!

It seems my main feelings about Flash Lite is common

Yesterday I found this post, from November '06.
It's exactly my feelings about Flash Lite after these months of analyse : "good stuff but not enought enabled devices"