Macromedia heeft eindelijk Flash Player 7 uitgegeven deze stond al enige tijd in beta fase maar is dan toch als final uitgebracht. De volledige release notes zien er als volgt uit:
Macromedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: MACR) today announced Macromedia Flash Player 7, the leading rich Internet client. This new version offers twice the performance of previous versions, user-controllable update notification, and powerful new development capabilities. The world's most ubiquitous rich Internet client, Macromedia Flash Player is installed across more than 97 percent of Internet-connected desktops and a growing number of mobile devices including Sony Clie handhelds, the HP iPaq Pocket PC, and all NTT DoCoMo i-mode 505i series handsets.
"The pervasive reach of Macromedia Flash Player has enabled our customers to consistently deliver great experiences across a myriad of browsers, operating systems, and devices," said Venu Venugopal, senior vice president of product development, Macromedia. "Flash Player 7 opens up new possibilities with breakthrough performance gains, high-quality video, and web services connectivity. We can't wait to see what our customers will deliver when they combine the player's power with their passion. "
Optimizations in Flash Player 7 double the performance for many operations, with selected areas performing up to eight times faster. While the original focus of Flash Player was graphics rendering, this version of the player focuses on the performance of business application functions such as filling and sorting arrays, and optimized connections with back-end servers. The new player offers particularly significant performance gains for Mac OS X users, ensuring a consistent cross-platform experience.
The new user-controllable update notification capability allows users to effortlessly keep up to date with the latest version. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) support enables developers to blend HTML and Flash with consistent formatting, creating a seamless, hybrid end user experience.
Flash Player 7 also supports ActionScript 2.0, the new scripting language introduced with Flash MX 2004 and Flash MX Professional 2004 (also announced today, see separate releases). New support for Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) web services connectivity allows developers to create rich Internet application user interfaces that handle enterprise data in a service-oriented architecture.
"Our customers demand highly interactive data-driven solutions that create emotion and Macromedia Flash Player is the only client technology that we even consider for our most important work," said Jeremy Irwin, CEO and creative director, Xylem Interactive. "Flash Player 7 provides rich support for SOAP web services, the ability to auto-update, and a powerful new version of ActionScript. When people ask me what is the next big technology that will be on the web, my answer is always 'The next version of Flash,' and Macromedia always comes through. Without Macromedia, our entire market segment wouldn't exist."
"Flash has been the backbone of our digital media department for years. It is the only technology that allows us to provide clients like SKYY Vodka with the truly interactive, immersive branding solutions that they deserve," said Chester McLaughlin, supervisor of interactive development, The Lambesis Agency. "The performance optimization, CSS support, and update capabilities of Flash Player 7 enable an unprecedented level of communication not only between client and server, but between brand and consumer."
Flash Player also provides the robust experience layer for the Macromedia Breeze„§ Presentation Platform, which delivers a complete solution for companies to rapidly author, manage, deliver, and track rich multimedia training throughout the enterprise. The video and performance improvements in Flash Player 7 will help make interactive Breeze Live presentations and real-time, collaborative meetings more powerful, bringing virtual meetings one step closer to being as immediate and effective as being in the same room.