Standardizing on Zend Server as the development PHP runtime environment makes it easy for developers to concentrate on writing code, not configuring the PHP stack. The Zend Debugger and Zend Framework, required on the PHP server for full Flash Builder for PHP feature support, are both built into Zend Server. Built-in APIs for data caching and running asynchronous PHP jobs give developers extra tools for optimizing server application performance. And using the same PHP stack as used in production helps ensure a smooth build and deployment process.

Connected Flex applications can place a heavy load on the PHP server. It's vital to be able to monitor the server for slow responses, high memory usage, and other conditions that can lead to downtime for business-critical applications. Using Zend Server brings the peace of mind of knowing when problems happen, and having insight into why they occurred. Code traces of problematic PHP requests can be exported from Zend Server running in production, handed to the development team, and imported into Flash Builder for PHP to allow deep analysis of issues' root causes.