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Future of Web is Rich Internet Applications
Author: Qasim Khan, Tabaq Software | Published: 4 October 2010
In today's global business environment, where customers are more demanding than ever and brand loyalty is increasingly difficult to obtain, deeper customer engagement is integral to an organisation's success. Rich Internet Applications can make customer interactions compelling, dynamic and engaging.
RIAs are not just about look and feel; they actually provide significant value to the enterprise. Consequently, RIA adoption is increasing day by day. ZapThink, leading IT advisory and analysis firm, estimates that the total market for RIA environments and components will grow to over $700M by 2011 [1]. The widespread deployment of Rich Internet Applications will only make things better for businesses and consumers in the coming days.
About Rich Internet ApplicationsRich Internet applications (RIAs) are web applications that have some of the characteristics of desktop applications, typically delivered by way of an Ajax framework, proprietary web browser plug-ins, advanced JavaScript compiler technology, or independently via sandboxes or virtual machines. Examples of RIA frameworks that require browser extensions include Adobe Flash, Java/JavaFX and Microsoft Silverlight.
Rich Internet Applications serve users through web browser, via browser plugin or by an independent sandbox (Independent Desktop Application)
Why Rich Internet ApplicationsThere are six major benefits of choosing Rich Internet Application development model:
- Increased Productivity - RIA development provides an efficient way for developers and designers to co-work with each other efficiently. They can work in parallel; developers are responsible for the business logic, and designers handle the task of UI design, and their works can be integrated seamlessly.
- Reduced Time to Market - It is important to respond to user’s requirement quickly. RIA shortens the development span and saves the investment at the same time. RIA fast tracks the process of product development to market.
- Low Training Cost - RIA development tool helps developers to design applications by drag and drop features, so ordinary developers can build the application with ease. Therefore no specialised training is required.
- Enhanced User Experience - One of the major benefits of RIAs is that the end user gets the updated data without refreshing the page, which makes application more responsive and user also doesn’t lose focus from it.
- Increased Customers/Users loyalty - RIAs increases the customers/users loyalty to generate high profits.
- Cross-Browser and Cross-Platform Compatibility - RIAs are compatible with all latest browsers and famous OS with few exceptions.
| Framework | License Type | Windows | Mac OS X | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Flex | Mozilla Public License | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Java Fx | Propriety/ Open source | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Silverlight | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No |
Evaluation Criteria for Choosing RIA Framework
There are three basic criteria to choose RIA framework:
- RIA Builder Support - Increased productivity and reduced time to market can only be achieved through the powerful RIA builder. So the first criteria is to choose the right RIA builder with the following features:
- WYSIWYG development
- Backend or database integration availability
- Source editor
- Debugging tool
- Ease of style customisation
- Framework Help and Support - A framework with proper Help documentation and active community support elevates the overall development of the application.
- Target Users - RIA requires an additional plugin to run and plugin support varies from Operating system to operating system, so one of the important factors is to identify the target users of the application and choose the appropriate framework accordingly.
The report below compares the market penetration and global usage comparing Adobe Flash, Microsoft SilverLight and Java [2].
| APPLICATION | TOTAL AVG | APR '10 | MAY '10 | JUN '10 | JUL '10 | AUG '10 | SEP '10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash Support | 96.76% | 96.71% | 97.04% | 96.95% | 96.91% | 96.59% | 96.41% |
| Java Support | 79.43% | 79.07% | 79.49% | 79.72% | 79.53% | 79.37% | 79.38% |
| SilverLight Support | 52.86% | 49.02% | 50.98% | 52.17% | 53.54% | 54.56% | 56.08% |
Finally RIA frameworks enable designers and developers to build RIAs in a cost effective way. It also helps the enterprise to save IT investment in many ways, including low training cost, fast time-to-market delivery, and efficient division of resources. So enterprise can choose their preferred RIA solution according to their requirements to save investment.
Our ServicesOur RIA service facilitates our customers to effectively project their ideas to their users. The solutions enhance the user experience and help them in their routine work as an essential part of their work environment.
Our expertise helps the clients to understand their need and to create a bridge between legacy systems. We offer unique approach, competitive pricing and reduce time to market the application.
Why Choose Us?Our team consist of world class creative designers, enthusiastic programmers, usability architects, product strategists and business analysts that can transform your idea from the kitchen table to a successful business venture.
Other than new product development, we have wide experience in application re-engineering and transforming a legacy application into a Rich Internet Application.
To learn more about Tabaq Software, visit www.tabaqsoftware.com
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