Adobe has announced the availability of Adobe® Flash® Platform Services for Distribution, a new service that enables advertisers and content publishers to promote, measure and monetize applications across social networks, desktops and mobile devices.

Adobe Flash Platform Services are online, hosted services that allow developers to add innovative capabilities to Web applications with a predictable, cost efficient deployment model. Developers, advertisers and publishers are now using Adobe Flash Platform Services to make Web applications sharable, social, and collaborative.

The Need for More Effective Application Distribution and Measuring

With the growth of social media, advertisers and publishers are looking to more predictable and effective methods to reach audiences via social media. There are many benefits to using sharable, social applications to connect with customers; however, it can be difficult to get users to install the applications. Additionally, advertisers, publishers and game developers use distribution methods that don’t support all popular destinations and can be difficult to maintain. Many times, simply posting applications in an app store is the mobile distribution strategy. Rarely is an overall distribution strategy unified across the Web and mobile, making comprehensive analytics difficult to obtain.

The new Distribution service from Adobe helps solve these challenges. Adobe is partnering with Gigya Inc., a leading social media authentication and distribution platform, to provide advertisers, publishers and game makers with a comprehensive distribution solution. The solution includes a unified management tool to effectively promote, measure and monetize Web applications and games.

• Viral distribution by making applications sharable – Flash and other Web applications can be distributed to most Web, desktop and mobile platforms. The sharing feature is easily implemented, enabling users to share applications with a single click on social networking sites, on the desktop and mobile platforms.
• Mobile applications distribution – Web applications built with Flash Platform tools as well as applications created with other technologies can be distributed to multiple mobile platforms. Users wishing to install a sharable application on a mobile device will receive a SMS message on that device with a link to the application. Users then click the link and the Distribution service detects the device and delivers the version of the application that is developed and optimized for that specific device. For information on supported mobile platforms, visit www.adobe.com/devnet/flashplatform/services/distribution/destinations.html.
• Assuring installs through paid promotion – Application distribution can be accelerated through paid promotion. Tens of thousands of Web application installs are possible through a unique paid cross-promotion model. Adobe is partnering with Gigya to provide the free and paid methods of Web application distribution.
• Measuring success and optimizing applications through tracking – Comprehensive traditional and social media analytics are available through the Distribution Manager. This application, built using Adobe® AIR® software, is to promote applications, and measure distribution and customer usage.
• Monetization through cross-promotion – Publishers and developers can generate revenue through cross-promotion of other Web applications. When users click to download an application, this feature enables publishers and developers to offer another Web application to the user.

The Distribution Service in Action

• Wall Street Journal Radio widget
  The WSJ Radio Network – which provides audio business news reports and programs to more than 370 radio stations across the country and reaches more than 22 million listeners per week – will provide its network affiliates with new business news Web tools for use on their own sites as well as for individual use. The new widget, expected to be available in the near future, will offer content from WSJ Radio and WSJ.com, including podcasts, live audio business news updates from The Wall Street Journal Report and The Dow Jones Money Report, as well as updated headlines and video, and will be available for users to view and share via social networking sites and blogs.