Mobile phones are set to challenge PCs as the main point of entry to the Internet following Adobe’s decision to make its Flash software freely available for mobile devices as well as PCs.

The move was welcomed by ARM marketing v-p, Ian Drew: “It will transform mobile applications and it removes the claim that the desktop controls the Internet.”

To date the development of Internet-based applications has been seen to be dominated by largely Intel-processor based PCs. Drew believes that can and will now change.

According to Drew, Flash drives 80 per cent of the moving graphics on the PC and should soon do the same for mobile terminals.

With Flash targeted at Intel processor-based PC applications, the mobile market, where ARM is strong, used a slimmed down version called Flash Lite.

That was fine for mobile phones as they were, but according to Drew it had its limitations for full Internet application developments. “Now the mobile developers have access to the full stack and that has all changed,” said Drew.

Adobe has said it will remove licensing fees for next major releases of Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR, remove restrictions on use of the SWF and FLV/F4V specifications and publish the device porting layer APIs for Adobe Flash Player.

Companies endorsing the plan to make mobiles "just like a PC in your hand", through what Adobe calls its Open Screen Project, include ARM, Cisco, Intel, LG Electronics, Marvell, Motorola, Nokia, NTT DoCoMo, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics and Sony Ericsson.

Also behind the move are content providers such as the BBC, MTV Networks and NBC Universal.