2 min.
Trends 2007: new generation of applications
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Trends 2007: new generation of applications

  • TECHNICAL LEVEL
Business Strategy

A strong trend in 2007; next-generation Internet applications. The latest technologies allow several advances in the sites and software offered on the Internet. Some challenges also await organizations that want to take advantage of them.

 

NEW INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES

When approaching Web 2.0, passions are automatically triggered; everyone has their say on what makes up this revolution, or rather this maturity reached by the Web. One point on which the majority seems to agree is the development of a new generation of Web applications, much richer in features. They are quick to use and hold the advantages of software in terms of uses for the user. And this without the ensuing inconvenience of updates and occasional crashes. This reality is simply due to the advancement of several technologies: Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML), a cocktail of JavaScript and XML. For example, these allow you to display and modify information on a Web page without refreshing it . Take the website Kayak.com for example, you can refine search results for airline tickets without having to constantly refresh the page.

Other technologies such as Java enable exciting applications, such as online photo editing and uploading several hundred photos at a time. Try the Jeancoutu.com Java application to develop photos, then try the html version (which only uploads one photo at a time) and you will immediately see the difference.

PHP and Coldfusion are also technologies whose advances allow such applications. The
Flash scripting engine source code release in browsers also has something to do with it.

BROWSERS AND THE RETURN OF CLIENT-SERVER

These changes increase the liability of Internet browsers. Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2.0 have a big job: going back to client-server. The many web applications published by Google demonstrate this well: docs & spreadsheets, Calendar, Gmail and how many more are coming out as I write these lines… Here you can live rich experiences previously reserved for software installed on your computer, constantly getting new things, without having to fear crashes and updates . Exactly like working on Wyse terminals with a big Sun server in the middle. It's the return of the paradox.

PROFITS ?

All these new applications are going to make it possible to publish on the Web all kinds of applications which it was previously impossible or simply not profitable to put on the Web. Applications requiring frequent and quick actions for data entry, eg. Companies will use these new technologies in a much more massive way in 2007.

CHALLENGES

Unfortunately, these advances come with their share of problems and challenges, especially in terms of SEO and website usability.

The issue will need to be addressed and carefully planned for the dissemination of these technologies. Projects using these technologies, if done well, can truly create value in an organization.