HTML5 vs. Adobe Flash : from the end user standpoint

Abstract

For NetApp products to be the best in the market, NetApp has to make the correct technology decisions to insure it leads in innovation. In this thesis, I focus on a product called NetApp Unified Manager, examining whether HTML5 satisfies its needs. I evaluate NetApp from a user's perspective using four criteria: data visualization and customization, platform, NetApp's special needs, and interoperability. From researching about these criteria, I evaluate the best decision for NetApp OnCommand's user experience, moving forward. I compare Adobe Flash based and HTML5 based data visualizations and reach several conclusions: their functionalities are comparable; HTML5 is completely capable of representing large amounts of data; HTML5 does not have all the features that Adobe Flash has on all browsers, but its disadvantages will decrease over time. Additionally, I assess NetApp's inclination toward mobile development and decide that running an application native to the browser is best because mobile application development is in the future. Accordingly, I recommend that NetApp migrate their applications to HTML5. I have made three main contributions in this thesis: I have framed a method for researching for and writing a recommendation. I have identified four criteria on which to assess NetApp's needs, emphasizing data visualizations. Finally, I have argued that, for NetApp, HTML5 is superior to Flash in the advantages it brings now.