It has been nearly a year since Scribd, a popular site where users can share documents and e-books, announced it was converting its content from the Flash format into HTML5. Today the company is making the last major step in that transition &8212' ita4‚¬a4„s converting the more than 20 million Scribd documents that are embedded on other sites across the Web.

On one level, the format switch seems like a minor change, but ita4‚¬a4„s part of a larger debate about Adobea4‚¬a4„s Flash technology and Flash&'s place in an online world thata4‚¬a4„s increasingly dominated by mobile devices. While Android devices now support Flash, Apple famously refused to include similar support on its iPhone or iPad devices, and chief executive Steve Jobs even published an essay outlining what he saw as Flasha4‚¬a4„s shortcomings.

At Scribd, co-founder and chief technology officer Jared Friedman said the conversion to HTML5 was crucial for two reasons &8212' to make Scribd documents readable on mobile devices, and to improve the reading experience generally. Friedman told me that that HTML5 has tripled the amount of time users spend on the site (which is even more impressive than the statistics he shared in the past).

Until now, however, Scribd still used Flash when its documents were embedded on other sites. (For example when VentureBeat wants to share a document with our readers, we usually upload it to Scribd and embed it in a post.) Starting today, all new embeds will switch to HTML5, and next week even old embeds will change too. Friedman said this is the first time a company switching from Flash to HTML5 has included previously embedded documents in the transition.

This move has been long-awaited by the San Francisco companya4‚¬a4„s partners, he added &8212' many publishers using Scribd have been asking for the change, Friedman said, and others have said that theya4‚¬a4„ll sign up once the transition happens. So if I embed a Scribd document in a post, from now on that document will be readable on a smartphone too.

Calling all mobile executives: This April 25-26, VentureBeat is hosting its inaugural VentureBeat Mobile Summit, where we&'ll debate the five key business and policy challenges facing the mobile industry today. Participants will develop concrete, actionable solutions that will shape the future of the mobile industry. The invitation-only event, located at the scenic and relaxing Cavallo Point Resort in Sausalito, Calif., is limited to the top 180 mobile executives, investors and policymakers. Request an invitation.

Next Story: Algae biofuels for less than $40 a barrel Previous Story: New York Times paywall plans are ambitious and sort of crazy

Print Email Twitter Facebook Google Buzz LinkedIn Digg StumbleUpon Reddit Delicious Google More&8230'

Tags: HTML5

Companies: Scribd

People: Jared Friedman

Tags: HTML5

Companies: Scribd

People: Jared Friedman

Anthony is a senior editor at VentureBeat, as well as its reporter on media, advertising, and social networks. Before joining the site in 2008, Anthony worked at the Hollister Free Lance, where he won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for breaking news coverage and writing. He attended Stanford University and now lives in San Francisco. Reach him at anthony@venturebeat.com. (All story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com) You can also follow Anthony on Twitter.

Have news to share Launching a startup Email: tips@venturebeat.com

VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters. Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.