Technology develops at great speed, in expected and unexpected ways. Ninety-five percent of this technology will pass most consumers by.
The software and hardware which make up a product or a service are like commas and full stops in a sentence: they enable understanding rather than being the focus of it. When it comes to what underpins and facilitates websites and the content on them, the wider public will only want to know if it works, much like investors. However, the internet’s transition from Flash to HTML5 has some drama in it, and, following the conclusion of the story, it’s given users greater security and convenience in browsing the internet, watching videos, and playing games and, importantly for our interests, online casino.
Flash’s Issues
What most people remember of the mid-00s internet content is Flash. It was a widely popular internet browser plug-in which developers would use to power animations, videos, web games, and, in some cases, whole websites. Youtube used it until 2015. Online casinos ran entirely off Flash. Adobe, who developed the plug-in, announced they would end support and distribution of the plug-in at the end of 2020, bringing to a close its slow decline towards redundancy.
One of the main issues it has was security. Flash was known to be susceptible to hacking. There would be non-consensual data collection, ads would play, and dodgy malware would be installed on user’s devices. Online casinos, with the option of safer software, will not run the risk of customer’s data being stolen and their experience being sabotaged. Sites that help customers find the right casino for them, like the award winning site NoDepositKings, will not recommend those which have significant risks.
Flash allowed users to access content – like those listed above – without having to download and install additional software. Everything was in the web browser once Flash was enabled. This allowed whole online casinos to be crafted. At this time, laptops and desktops were the main means of accessing online casino. Adobe Flash came installed on all devices. Apple then came onto the scene with their new iPhone, the first of its kind. They announced that they would not support Flash on their device. Citing many reasons, this was a huge blow for adobe. Major technology companies, using Flash, would want their apps on Apple’s iPhone. Steve Jobs wrote an open letter criticising the technology and why he turned his back on what was then the industry standard. The popularity of the phone practically forced companies to adapt and move away from Flash.
HTML5
There was no guarantee that anything better than Flash would be available. As online gambling was becoming more popular, they would need to find a means of accessing the one of the most popular mobiles to make the most of the growing mobile gambling market.
In 2008, HTML5 was debuted, and then in 2010, Jobs gave it a vote of confidence in his open letter about Flash. What is HTML5? It’s a standardised language and big variety of technology to build websites and apps with. Before HTML5, there was no standardised language to build websites with, which meant there was no consensused best-practice. Developers wanted a language which could be easily readable universally, by human and non-human entities.
Additionally, websites would no longer require plug-ins or additional software for content to be played or interacted with. Mobile casinos could develop in-browser as well as native apps which would enable users to play in whatever way they wanted.
Importantly, HTML5 offers better security. Data is better secured; there are less flaws in the coding for malware to exploit, the standard of practice is much higher and collective pursued which ensures wider consistency across sites and platforms.
It is fair to say problems have been solved, becoming the dominant means of creating a website and enabled the online casino industry to grow to the multi-billion-dollar business it is. There are technology which can help in little, yet significant ways like AI researching a holiday-goers dream vacation. HTML5 offered a more global and revolutionary solution.
