AJAX makes desktop network applications a trend

The rise of more sophisticated program development technologies, especially the popularity of AJAX for creating interactive browser applications, is pushing consumer applications to the world's information network (Web) trend.
Inspired by this, it was once seen as an unrealistic concept-for example, building an online version of Microsoft Office alternatives-and is now coming back.
With the launch of Web services such as Google Maps, users can experience better use experience than traditional websites, and help them gain the awareness of AJAX. Currently, dozens of new startups have used AJAX to create network-based desktop applications, ranging from file processors to project management software.
However, these Web applications (sometimes known as Web 2.0) do not just copy Microsoft Office on the Internet, but many programs focus on publishing and sharing information on the Internet.
AJAX uses JavaScript programming language and other Web standards. Analysts and entrepreneurs said that the basic AJAX technology was created in the 1990 s, however, it was not until recently -- probably after the birth of AJAX in February this year -- that many developers and entrepreneurs noticed the new business opportunities brought by AJAX.
Google uses AJAX this year to show how Web applications look and feel like desktop applications. Web browsers widely adopt network standards and persuade developers that AJAX applications can be executed on most PCs.
Burton Group analyst Richard Monson-Haefel said: "Since the launch of AJAX earlier this year, many companies have sprung up in various regions. These new startups can do a lot. They have smart programmers who can use AJAX without being stuck by some tool and software vendors ."
Interactive web pages created using multimedia tools such as Macromedia Flash and Flex have existed for many years. These so-called rich web application tools will continue to support complex tasks. By contrast, Monson-Haefel pointed out that AJAX is suitable for simple tasks, such as adding interactions on existing websites.
With the ability to build a better website, hosted services, which are supported by advertising fees or membership subscription income, have emerged. This is quite different from the traditional sales model of desktop computer software. Traditionally, consumers must pay a fee in advance to install the software on a single machine.
At present, Microsoft, the dominant computer software company in the desktop industry, is also in a rush to enter the network application service market.
Microsoft has taken the software service as the center, reorganized its business departments, and launched the Live.com service in November, including many services originating from the MSN department, for example, Hotmail (Windows Live Mail will be renamed in the future ). Most of these services rely on the front end design after AJAX renovation.
AJAX Office?
The increasing popularity of AJAX usage-coupled with Microsoft's embrace of Web software services-has prompted everyone to speculate on the possibility of the release of Microsoft Office alternatives for online versions. Online productivity applications have already been provided by industry players, but what they need to do now is to incorporate Web-based communication into them and become an indispensable part of a full set of services.
For example, Upstartle's Writely.com is already an online file processor. However, the greater value of the system is that users can easily create and share webpages together.
Sam Schillace, co-founder of Upstartle, said: "in the last four or five months we launched, everyone said we were crazy. They said: Who would want to use a browser to edit files? But now, you can see that Microsoft and Google are also following up. Therefore, in just six months, this has changed from a crazy idea to a general idea ."
Google decided to assign some employees to invest in the OpenOffice open source code program, which has aroused speculation that Google will provide the Internet version of the Productivity package software service in the future.
As for Microsoft, the project to provide the complete online Office version has not yet been announced. The software giant said last month that it plans to launch a new software service called Office Live, which helps small companies track customer transactions or manage contact transactions. However, the new service will only supplement the Office and will not replace it. Microsoft said Office Live will launch the advertising sponsorship edition and membership paid edition.
Another online Office-style application software company, Silveroffice, is called gOffice. The company's website provides document processing and printing software and plans to launch online trial tables and briefing software soon. Founder and CEO Kevin Warnock revealed that the company plans to launch a service to convert files into Adobe Systems PDF files in lunar January.
GOffice applications are provided free of charge to support advertising revenue. Warnock said the company intends to provide Membership services to customers (especially enterprise users) who do not want advertisement interference. Currently, the total number of registered users reaches "five digits", but the company hopes to increase to 2 million, many of which are expected to be users outside the United States.
However, Silveroffice is not designed to replace Microsoft Office.
"I think gOffice can naturally coexist with the Office package software for a long time, and they don't have to survive," Warnock said ." He pointed out that even if Microsoft Outlook software is installed in many PCs in advance, users still use web mail systems, such as Hotmail or GMail.
He said that the use of AJAX and online supply models enables startups with only 15 employees to be self-reliant. He said: "This is really a pragmatic way to get in touch with the masses without raising funds ."
Enterprises and consumers
Whether it is Writely, gOffice, or other productivity Application Software deployed on the Global Information Network (such as the to-do list and personal data management tools of 37 Signals), or instant messaging (IM) of the online version) all applications take consumers as the main service objects. However, IT directors and analysts said That AJAX-style browser development is in the ascendant, and even the business community will feel its impact.
Enterprises can use AJAX to add more interactive functions to their existing enterprise websites, or use data transfers compiled in Extensible Markup Language (XML) command to create mash-up and retrieve data from different sources. Monson-Haefel, for example, said that real estate websites can capture information from schools and then be tied to the home objects that are logged on.
Scott Dietzen, the technical director of Zimbra, an e-mail and calendar software company, expects AJAX to greatly affect business-to-business applications. For example, customers in the financial services and telecommunications industries require a richer user interface. Zimbra enterprise-oriented products use AJAX for data exchange. For example, they can be displayed in a meeting place on Google Maps in a calendar.
Enterprise user Iconix Pharmaceuticals works with AJAX and General Interface (later integrated with software vendor Tibco) tools to create an application, this allows pharmaceutical company technicians to use large databases and Advanced Front-end systems to track the efficacy of human experiments.
Using AJAX allows Iconix to create a complex user interface and link it to multiple data sources. Alan Roter, vice president of the company's Information Department, said that the product architecture can be provided through the Internet on the global information network, otherwise it will have to be installed in advance.
"If we don't need a Web-based UI (User interface), we have to use a heavy-duty client and set a master-slave interface," he said) and all necessary supporting items. The advantage of the architecture on the global information network is that it does not need to be installed. That's great ."
Roter said Tibco's AJAX tools are clever and help accelerate program development time, faster than other languages. However, analysts believe that the maturity of AJAX tools is roughly inferior to that of well-established products.
Monson-Haefel said that the market ecosystem of commercial AJAX tools is not yet mature. He expects that one day, AJAX will eventually become a mainstream development technology, like Adobe's Macromedia tool or Microsoft's tool.
However, Writely Schillace predicts that AJAX will become increasingly popular, resulting in excessive webpage interaction functions. Indeed, some corporate executives and analysts have begun to worry about the side effects of excessive use of AJAX technology-web pages are highly interactive and inherently poorly designed.
According to Dietzen of Zimbra, AJAX is not a panacea. applications such as complex trial tables or briefing software still need to use the storage space of desktop computers. He said: "AJAX does need a lot of enhancement in traditional network applications, but not all network applications require richer user interfaces. AJAX is obviously the best choice for applicable network applications. (