Migrate from Flash to HTML5

Flash as We Knew It

Adobe Flash Technology, originally developed to facilitate audio and video, animations, and interactivity in web browsers, has helped deliver online multimedia content for more than two decades. Through the years, web browsers evolved quickly, and so did Flash Player, making it the most widely used plug-in on web browsers to play multimedia elements.

Popular eLearning formats depend largely on Flash. However, Adobe has confirmed that it plans to phase out Flash by 2020 to make room for newer technology.

What Went Wrong with Flash?

Since its introduction to the world of web browsers, Flash Player faced frequent updates and increased usage globally. Hackers used this opportunity to exploit Flash’s vulnerability to malware and security lapses to hack into systems to steal sensitive user data. Flash eventually became an issue of concern, especially for the world’s most-well-known IT companies, including Google and Apple.

Gradually, the greater availability of the internet, Wi-Fi, and affordable smartphones led to an increase in online learning. Developers began to rely more heavily on HTML5 to present multimedia content seamlessly over the web and mobile devices.

This preference has increased as more and more people have turned to their mobile devices for information rather than desktop computers. Over time, Flash’s popularity and usage have declined.

Flash’s biggest drawback is its lack of support on mobile devices, whether an Android or iOS operating system. On the other hand, HTML5 works well with both operating systems and is maturing at a fast pace. Thus, it is a welcome option among developed platforms that can support rich multimedia content.

Although this newer technology is better able to deliver rich multimedia content, this development is concerning, especially for those who are associated with the eLearning industry. Because this industry largely depends on Flash as its course-delivery medium, a large amount of content will need to be converted for HTML5 eLearning compatibility.

This issue is one of great cost as well as complexity for eLearning professionals. So, how is the deadline of 2020 going to affect the industry, and what can be done to streamline the conversion process?

What should you do?

Simply put: Convert Flash to HTML5!

To be fair, Flash ads are cheaper to generate as opposed to HTML5, but research suggests that the cost of showing ads in Flash is actually greater due to revenue losses. In 2015, Sizmek, a New York–based company, published a report on the impact of Flash versus HTML5. This study showed that 98.6% of Flash-based ads defaulted, as they delivered static images instead of rich media content. That’s 930 million ad impressions that didn’t exactly do what the advertisers had paid for!

Is it a wonder that advertisers are now clamoring to move to HTML5?

The shift is inevitable, so shouldn’t you move with the rest of the world?

Don’t wait until the last minute to make the switch. Adapt. Grow. Persevere!

As we all know, change is the only thing that is constant, but one aspect of this change is clear: the switch is not going to be easy. It will require countless hours to convert existing Flash files, but the good news is that the assets and resources needed to accomplish this goal are already available to help you.

Contact us to get started on your migration to save on cost, time, and resources. MPS Limited has years of expertise in moving large volumes of data to HTML5. Our experience makes us one of the best in the world for Flash to HTML5 migration.

What Does This Change Mean for eLearning?

As we know, Flash has been the primary choice of developers for many years to deliver multimedia content—from complex interactions to simple animations—in eLearning courses. Adobe has put the final nail in this technology’s coffin with its announcement that organizations must migrate Flash-based content to HTML5 eLearning courses to enable everyone to be future-ready.

How Can MPS Help?

Migrating from Flash to HTML5 can be very challenging if you don’t have the right partner to walk you through the process. MPS will properly engage with you to understand the nuances of migration objectives and suggest the best way forward.

We will help you analyze the current functionality of your Flash content and validate inputs in the form of animations, audio, video, and more. Based on this analysis, we will help you determine your business objectives without compromising your learning efficacy and stated objectives.

So, get in touch with us today for your business needs. Need a real-world example? Ask us how MPS helped a large ELT publisher in North America with its large-scale migration from Flash to HTML5.