Brightcove Launches Android SDK, Supports Flash 10.1 for Mobile

Video platform provider Brightcove June 22 released a software development kit for smartphones based on Google's Android operating system and new mobile templates for Adobe Flash Player 10.1, which launched with support for Android 2.2 devices in the Android Market. Brightcove's support for Android comes as multimedia consumption on smartphones are on the rise. This is particularly true on the iPhone and Android devices, which are powerful enough to serve video, animations, games and other content without a hitch.

Brightcove, who seeks to put its Web-based video platform anywhere businesses require it, released a software development kit for smartphones based on Google's Android operating system June 22.

The Brightcove App SDK for Android is accompanies by new mobile templates for Adobe Flash Player 10.1, which launched with support for Android 2.2 devices in the Android Market.

Brightcove President and COO Dave Mendels told eWEEK the Brightcove App SDK for Android provides developers the software tools to write native video apps that consumers can run on their Android devices. Tools include pre-built components for playback, content discovery, and hooks into the Brightcove Media API services.

Over time, Brightcove App SDK for Android will allow developers to install sharing capability to Facebook and Twitter with a single touch on the device app. Cover Flow playlist navigation and the ability to surface related and popular video content will also be added.

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Brightcove's support for Android, following the launch of a similar SDK for Apple's iPhone last November, comes as multimedia consumption on smartphones are on the rise.

This is particularly true on the iPhone and Android devices, many of which feature 1 GHz processors to serve video, animations, games and other content without a hitch.

Indeed, Mendels noted that 66 percent of the world's mobile data traffic will be video playback by 2014.

The increased interest in viewing video from smartphones makes it imperative for Brightcove and others in the industry to support iPhone, Android and any other device users buy to navigate the Web on the go.

"We believe Android will be the major other mobile Web browsing platform at least for the next year alongside the Apple [iPhone and iPad] devices," Mendels said.

Brightcove has also launched mobile templates for Flash Player 10.1, allowing companies to run video for native applications and mobile Web browsing that adapts on demand to the playback environment.

The player templates feature user interface controls designed for improving video viewing on compact screens from Android and other smartphone platforms except for the iPhone, which will now support Flash.

Flash Player 10.1 is available on the Android Market now for smartphones and tablets once users are able to upgrade to Android 2.2, which Google unveiled last month with support for Flash Player 10.1.

Adobe said devices supporting Android 2.2 and Flash Player 10.1 include the Dell Streak tablet/smartphone hybrid, Google Nexus One, HTC Evo, HTC Desire, HTC Incredible, DROID by Motorola, Motorola Milestone, Samsung Galaxy S and others.

Flash Player 10.1 is also now supported on devices based on BlackBerry, webOS, MeeGo, LiMO and Symbian OS platforms, and will come pre-installed on smartphones, tablets and other devices this year and into 2011.