The iPlayer for the BBC continues to lead the way for on-demand/online TV with statistics from the BBC showing that in July 2010 114 million requests for programmes were received. If proof were needed the iPlayer clearly shows that the Adobe AIR development platform is a fantastic method for creating robust and reliable applications. In short, Adobe Air provides web developers, such as ourselves, with the framework to create internet or intranet connected desktop applications that operate across multiple platforms. While many may think that Adobe Air offers nothing new over a conventional browser based application in reality there are significant advantages for systems using Adobe AIR:

• Create rich and engaging user interfaces that are intuitive for users.
• Work Offline – there is no need for you to be connected to a network to use the application.
• Updates made while offline can be synchronised with a central database once a network connection is established.
• Encrypt the data – so all your data is safely stored away from prying eyes if your laptop is lost or stolen.
• Operates painlessly across multiple platforms – Microsoft Windows, Apple OS X and Linux.
• Easily distribute updates to the application.

With Adobe AIR, Adobe really have moved the goal posts for intranet connected desktop applications, effectively pre-empting some of the features of HTML 5 by creating a rich environment for web developers to create desktop applications.

The next thing on the horizon for Adobe AIR applications is the ability to distribute AIR applications to mobile solutions such as Android or iPhone, not only for public applications but also for private enterprise applications.