Is this the true end of Flash? Adobe renames Flash to Adobe Animate CC

After two decades of Flash Professional, Adobe has finally decided that HTML5 is the future and will rename the multimedia and software platform to Adobe Animate CC. So does this mean we're finally saying goodbye to Flash? 

Flash has always played a huge part on the Internet with it's ability to produce and design animations, games, unique websites and other online interactive experiences. Adobe acquired Flash from Macromedia in 2005 when Flash was at it's most popular with websites like Miniclip and Newgrounds relying on the use of Flash content to provide entertainment. It was also used in advertising and software development so skills in Flash were highly sought after at the time. 

So when Steve Jobs announced the iPhone in 2007 there was a question about why such a popular platform was going to be disabled on Apple's new flagship smartphone. Fast forward to today and Youtube has switched it's video player over to HTML5, flash websites are few, far and between and popular flash games have been replaced with apps or coded in HTML5. 

Adobe Animate CC will focus primarily on HTML5 exportation but will still continue to support the flash format (SWF). HTML5 has been supported in Adobe Flash for some time now with over a third of content being created with it and has been recognised as an HTML5 ad solution that complies with the latest Interactive Advertiser Bureau (IAB) standards. The name change not only sees Adobe distancing themselves away from Flash terminology but also sees a number of new features coming to Adobe Animate CC with improved illustration and authoring, CreativeSync integration and more advanced output capabilities including 4K+ video support.

So whilst we always knew Flash was on it's way out due to the emergence of HTML5 and lack of mobile support, Adobe has appeared to have confirmed it by laying the Flash name to rest. It's hard to tell whether Steve Jobs was responsible for the demise of Flash or that he knew it wasn't going to last but it had a good run whilst it lasted and helped many amateur animators find work, fame and knowledge.