Adobe CEO says impact of Apple's Flash apps ban 'muted'

Two weeks after Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) agreed to lift a six-month ban on cross-compiler translation tools like Adobe Systems' Flash Professional CS5, enabling developers to design and build iOS apps in Flash then convert their efforts to Apple-approved code, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen said the overall impact of Apple's actions was "muted." Asked during Adobe's Q3 earnings call Tuesday whether Apple's decision to again allow tools like CS5 changes demand for Adobe Creative products, Narayen said "What we did see was that the day Apple announced the removal of the licensing restrictions that a number of people who had created products using our tool submitted that to the Apple Store and were approved. I think it just continues to reflect the opportunity which we have with our tools, which is to help designers and developers continue to develop their applications and content in our tools and repurpose it to multiple different output media. In the short run, I would say the impact was muted."

Adobe Systems reported a 69 percent jump in profits in the third quarter, posting revenues of $990.3 million. However, the firm said it projects Q4 revenues between $950 million and $1 billion, below Wall Street expectations of $1.03 billion.

Apple said it would ease restrictions on the creation of iOS-based applications earlier this month, crediting its decision to rethink the Flash apps ban on developer feedback. The move followed in the wake of a controversial March 2010 update of the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement mandating that all iPhone and iPod touch applications must be written to run directly on the iOS platform. While iOS developers may now create applications in Flash, the new revisions do not mean consumers are now able to access Flash-based web content via their iPhone and iPod devices.

For more on Adobe's reaction to Apple's decision:
- read this Seeking Alpha earnings call transcript

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