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Adobe looks to streamline cross-platform development with Creative Suite 5.5's release

iOS, BlackBerry and Android supported

Adobe looks to streamline cross-platform development with Creative Suite 5.5's release
As part of what it bills is an attempt to keep developers on top of advances in smartphone and tablet platforms, the latest version of Adobe's Creative Suite has support for mobile languages at its core.

Creative Suite 5.5 is the first update in Adobe's new model of offering milestone refreshes to its family of products once every 24 months.

These will be supported by more modest updates - such is CS 5.5 - in a bid to better support developers.

Level playing field

"Creative Suite 5.5 will drive the development of new digital experiences across devices, including all major smartphones and tablets," said president and CEO Shantanu Narayen.

"As publishers, media companies, advertisers and enterprises transform the way they develop and distribute their content, Adobe will be there to support them with technology innovations in content creation, management, measurement and distribution."

Adobe claims Creative Suite 5.5 is equipped to deal with the continued development of HTML5, as well as innovations to its Flash and Flex authorising tools.

Platforms specifically mentioned are Android, BlackBerry and iOS, with delivering "rich browser-based content" the key aim.

Time saver

In particular, the release of Flash Builder 4.5 and open source Framework Flex 4.5 have been highlighed by Adobe, as enabling developers to leverage a single tool chain, programming language and code base to reduce both the amount of time and money spent on each app.

"With the proliferation of smartphones and tablets, enterprises now need to ensure that their applications work seamlessly across many different types of devices," added VP of development tooling Ed Rowe.

"Flash Builder 4.5 and Flex 4.5 will now allow companies to standardise on a common platform capable of delivering rich and consistent application experiences that perform great across Android, BlackBerry Tablet OS and iOS devices."

[source: Adobe]

With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.