Adobe opens Flash streaming protocol

Adobe opens its Flash streaming protocol RTMP as part of its open screen initiative. The move to open RTMP comes as competition with the Microsoft alternative Silverlight heatens up. Adobe currently dominates the field of streaming with its Flash technology, used by video portals such as Youtube. But competitor Microsoft recently won showcases as the Olympics and the Obama inauguration for its Silverlight technology with strong .NET integration. Other beneficiaries of the competition include the users on other operating systems. Microsoft sponsors via Novell the Moonlight project for an implementation of Silverlight for Novell’s SuSe Linux operating system. Flash is reimplemented via the ambitious Gnash free software project and Adobe updated its own binary plugins for Linux. Enthusiasts of world wide web technology advocate the future was html5 instead of both offerings. Streaming technology is a patent minefield, so little can be told about the openness of the specifications.

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