Jun 5, 2009

Flex Builder has been rebranded as Flash Builder in Flex Sdk 4 release

Hi All,

It is one of the most shocking news I came across recently. Yes it is true that Adobe has taken a final decision on rebranding the Flex builder.

Before writing any further, I like to share one email communication which I recently had with Adobe Team.

The content is as follow:

Shaleen Jain wrote:

Hi Adobe Team,

I do not see the decision of rebranding the flex builder to flash builder as a reasonably good decision.
My belief is that, it will discourage new java and flex developer.

Customer is now believing that flex is different from flash in the sense that flex is basically for enterprise application.
Flash is considered considerably at a lower level when comparing with flex.

Client, developing mission critical application will have faith in flex but that can be deteriorate when we start calling flex to flash.

I am working in Flex since 2005. Initially I was not sure what will be the future of flex. Adobe team then clarify that Flex is specially meant for developing RIA which will be run on flash player and it is not flash. I just want to remind Adobe team is that, the decision to make flex and NOT flash is that, Adobe want to attract developer from other technologies(especially Java) because they don't want to be called as designer.

But now when flex is picking up the pace and leading other RIA technologies we are rebrading flex to flash again.

I hope this decision will ruin the image of Flex in the market.

Further to that, developer generally don't prefer to be called a flash developer rather than flex developer ( At least I will never prefer to be called one).

Hope you may want to reconsider the decision to rebrand flex builder to flash builder in the interset of Adobe, their investors and Flex community.

Warm Regards,
Shaleen Jain

Adobe's Reply

Hi Shaleen:
Unfortunately at this time the decision to rebrand has already been made and is final. You can read a good summary of many of the issues you talk about in Lee Brimelow’s blog, at http://theflashblog.com/?p=998

Thanks for your comment!

Mike


I will write more about this very soon.

Thanks,
Shaleen Jain