Platform Independence

Because Flash movies are self-contained, they ensure that your content will be delivered consistently regardless of what browser, operating system, or other installed software your visitors may have. Flash players exist for all the major operating systems and platforms, including being built in to all Windows- and Mac-based machines, available with all Netscape browsers from version 4 on, included in AOL browsers from version 7, and integrated with various other applications such as WebTV and RealNetwork's RealOne player.

Macromedia keeps an ongoing report of Flash player use. According to a study done by Macromedia and their survey partner NPD Online, the Flash player 6 has reached an average of 57.9% penetration worldwide, while nearly 98% of all Web browsers have some version of Flash installed.

NIS keeps statistics on the browsers used to access the BU Web. Currently nearly 96% of BU Web visitors have some version of the Flash player installed, with nearly 90% of those version 5 or 6.