Adobe has taken an aggressive step to ensure its Flash and AIR technologies are not left behind when it comes to mobile platforms. The Open Screen Project is meant to improve Internet experiences on television, personal computers, mobile devices and computer electronics, while removing licensing fees previously associated with mobile versions of Flash.

Adobe is also to remove restrictions on the use of files in SWF and FLV format and to publish detailed information about the inner workings of its Flash player and streaming Flash technologies (the Adobe Flash Cast protocol). The company unveiled that top industry leaders, such as LG Electronics, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba, Motorola, Verizon Wireless and others are supporting the Open Screen Project, together with BBC, MTV Networks and NBC Universal.

While Adobe Flash is already on 98 percent of desktop systems, according to the company's own estimates, the percentage of Flash Lite presence on mobile devices is much smaller. For example, Apple's iPhone does not support Flash and it's hard to say whether it will ever do, because it seems against the Mac maker's interests in the long term.

By 2009, Adobe expects its Flash Player to reach more than one billion handsets and mobile devices, meeting consumer expectations and demands. “Adobe Flash Player is the world’s most pervasive client runtime,” the company said, adding that it delivers “unparalleled creative options, highly engaging user experiences, stunning audio/video playback and universal reach.” In order to do that, Adobe says software applications and video should seamlessly work on a wide range of devices.

Meanwhile, Apple and Mozilla, possibly backed by Google, are bound to try to tip the balance in their direction, with Microsoft being the third player in the game with its Silverlight. Mozilla already warned developers not to rely on proprietary technology like Flash, while Google’s upcoming Android platform will probably include its own Flash-like technology. The problem is that if one relies too much on proprietary technology such as Flash, what happens if it falls in the wrong hands (*cough*Microsoft*cough*) subsequent to a buyout?