Web Application Development
WEtap has nothing against the desktop, but we believe it is rarely the only place for business applications. WEtap develops apps that live where your users are: everywhere!
Web applications provide many obvious advantages to your business and users:
- No installation required.
- Ability to access anywhere an Internet connection exists.
- Data is stored in the cloud, securely backed up.
- Cross platform support allowing Mac, Windows and other users to share data seamlessly.
- More easily support your mobile users.
- Centralized data storage means centralized backup and data security. A lost or stolen laptop does not have to mean lost or stolen data.
- Easily upgrade without having to send installer updates to your users.
- As application complexity increases, it can be more cost effective to scale your server infrastructure than purchase new PCs for every user.
However, many will quickly point out that these advantages could be outweighed by the following perceived disadvantages.
- Web applications require Internet access.
This is no longer true. Using cache manifests, a web application can instruct a web browser to store user interfaces, images, scripts and data for offline use. Using WebSQL, it is possible to gather information entirely offline, and when an Internet Connection becomes available, sync with the remote server. This development approach allows companies to leverage their existing web technology investment to complete offline tasks!
- Web applications can’t provide a user experience that meets the demands of desktop users.
Web technology has progressed significantly in the last few years. With the advent of HTML5 capabilities and compatibility shims for non-compliant browsers; web applications can deliver user experiences that blur the line between web and desktop.
- Web applications store data that could be compromised through a security vulnerability.
Data security is a huge component in any solution; desktop or web. Most applications contain at least some sensitive information. Neither web nor desktop applications are immune to attack.
We secure our web applications by following industry-specific guidelines, like PCI, as well as security/hardening best-practices.
- Web applications cannot do complex things.
Actually, web applications can perform amazingly complex tasks. Usually this argument is less about the ability of a web application to perform a task, but rather the “glue” that binds a web-based application to a user’s experience. For example, WEtap Media’s eCM code generation tool is web-based. Many developers (including us) prefer a command line interface for development tools. For this reason, a command line interface was created for eCM to provide “glue” between the developers’ needs and the benefits of a centralized, web-based application.
If you would like to discuss your next web (or desktop) application project, please contact us.
