Adobe announced the launch of PhoneGap Build 1.0, a service designed to enable developers to build mobile apps using standard web technologies, including HTML5, CSS and JavaScript.

The company said that developers can use it by uploading their code to GitHub, and then providing the reference to PhoneGap Build, which compiles apps in the cloud.

It supports the creation of products targeting platforms such as iOS, Android, Palm, Symbian, BlackBerry “and more”.

Since launching the service in beta during November 2010, Adobe said it has been “working hard on this latest update, including implementing new features and updating the PhoneGap Build interface”.

Updates include a faster debug/build cycle, faster compile times, and the ability to push updates directly to installed apps.

The company is offering two plans, “free” and “paid”. The former supports creation of one commercial app, with the latter supporting 25 with prices starting at US$9.99 per month. Open source apps can be created free.

PhoneGap Build forms part of Adobe’s Edge tools and services, which the company said “can create beautiful, mobile-ready content and apps with HTML, CSS and JavaScript for delivery to modern browsers and mobile devices”.

Adobe gained PhoneGap build through its acquisition of Nitobi late last year – a move that was seen as significant, in that it signaled a shift away from Flash as its technology of choice for the delivery of cross-platform mobile content.

The company subsequently announced it would no longer support Flash as a browser extension for mobile devices, although it is still being used for some standalone apps via the AIR runtime.