Appspace Shifts CMS Platform To Progressive Web App; Purging Last Bits Of Flash

October 15, 2018 by Dave Haynes

I kinda made the assumption Adobe Flash was ancient history for software companies in the digital signage ecosystem, but there are bits of it still around.

The software firm Appspace pushed out an interesting mass email Monday to its contacts database saying it was happily announce that by the end of this year, all Flash-based tools in Appspace will be replaced with the Appspace Progressive Web App (PWA).

There was a time when entire digital signage platforms, including players, were all about Flash. But the rise of HTML5 and web services has largely put an end to that. In the case of Appspace, the company’s platform has been HTML5-driven for three years, but there were bits of Flash left on the management console side and that’s what’s being killed off.

Says the note:

Specifically, users will notice Flash permission warnings disappear from all channel preview functions and advanced channel design tools. While this announcement is excellent news for users, it’s just the start. By embracing PWA technology, we open the door to a whole new way users can access information.

Unlike native apps, such as those found on media player devices, a Progressive Web App is accessed like a regular website rather than downloaded and installed. This hosted approach enables us to offer a high-quality app experience with the same functionality as native apps, at endless scale. Other benefits include:

• Your Appspace App is always up-to-date
• Zero downtime for app updates
• Preview channels anywhere, anytime, on any browser
• Fast load speeds
• Lower storage requirements 
• Use the app while offline

Appspace says the first partner company using PWA is Crestron – for its conference room tech.

Adds the company:

We are currently working with several other hardware and app manufacturers (sorry, we can’t say who) that have set their sights on combining the technology with HTML cards to deliver new workplace services for their users.

“I don’t think anyone is sorry to see (Flash) go,” notes Darren Colclough, Appspace’s marketing director, in a comment on this post (see below). “Our player technology has been HTML since 2015, and indeed lots of companies employ this approach, not just in the digital signage industry.”

“PWA is a step on from this,” he explains, “and fulfills our promise to a lot of enterprises to enable non-traditional digital signage devices with content served up by Appspace – like the Crestron Mercury.”

It’s a bit nerdy as Colclough concedes, but the interesting thing here is how Google’s Progressive Web App opens the door to all kinds of devices.

Says Colclough: “We’re enabling digital signage (and other use cases) on non-traditional media player devices – something our enterprise customers have been after for a while. However, it’s really not an easy thing to do and we’re using our advanced cloud architecture and player technology to do it. It’s something 99% of the other long-running industry players don’t or won’t do.”