By Josh Ong

Published: 11:15 PM EST (08:15 PM PST)

Now that Apple has lifted restrictions banning Adobe's Flash to iPhone porting tool, Adobe will continue development of it for future releases of Flash Professional.

On its official blog, Adobe confirmed Thursday that it was resuming development of the tool, which allows Flash developers to "quickly and easily deliver applications for OS devices."

"We are encouraged to see Apple lifting its restrictions on its licensing terms, giving developers the freedom to choose what tools they use to develop applications for Apple devices," the company said in a statement earlier in the day.

Apple announced Thursday that iOS would now be open to third-party development tools, "as long as the resulting apps do not download any code." The Cupertino, Calif., company also released its App Store Review Guidelines, eliminating much of the mystery behind the approval process.

According to Adobe, developers are already seeing App Store approval of apps made using the Packager tool.

When Apple changed the iPhone Development Program License Agreement to ban apps using an "intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool" earlier this year, many saw it as a strike at Adobe, which had developed a Flash to iPhone cross compiler for Flash Professional in CS5.

Adobe subsequently abandoned development of the porting feature.

Thursday's announcements were "great news" for Google as well. According to Google, clauses in the developer agreement that could bar Google and AdMob from collecting user data have now been "clarified" to allow "many different mobile ad competitors" on the iPhone.

Something's still missing, though. Adobe was quick to point out that "Apple’s restriction on Flash content running in the browser on iOS devices remains in place."

Apple and Adobe exchanged missives earlier this year as tensions grew after Apple left Flash off of the iOS platform and then blocked Adobe's Flash Professional porting tool.