Macromedia this week launched its Flash Player software for the Pocket PC platform.

The move sees the company delivering on its promise to drive the ubiquitous Flash application onto mobile devices.

The release will enable users to download and play Flash applications on Compaq iPaq, Casio Cassiopeia and HP Jornada devices. With the move to broadband mobile the software will enable users to surf sites with Flash applications.

"Applications aren't just about the desktop anymore," said Macromedia European product marketing manager Nick Peall. "We're taking things a step further, it's the next step after WAP."

Different versions of the Flash players, launched at the Flashforward developers conference this week, have been optimised for each device. The company is working on versions for alternative mobile platforms like Epoc and Palm OS.

The developer version of the player is available for free download and comes ahead of the full featured version due later in the year. The developer's kit provides Macromedia Flash 5 authoring guidelines, documentation, and example for the Pocket PC platform.

-Justin Pearse