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What Are Rich Internet Applications?
Rich Internet Applications or RIAs bring to the web an ability to have amazingly rich user experiences delivered through the ubiquitous web browser delivery platform. Let's remember that the web was invented for reading and sharing documents, not delivering enterprise applications so until recently it's no surprise that web applications fell absurdly short on user experience.
We've become accepting of bad application design and function just because we're using a browser. How would you feel if your screen went blank and redrew itself when using Microsoft Word every time you clicked on a button? You wouldn't stand for it but put a word processing application on the web and suddenly this is acceptable behaviour? Not for our web based applications it's not.
The enterprise user needs to work efficiently and the traditional desktop application, running as an executable on a Windows client machine provides a perfectly acceptable tool for the job. We would write the application, link it to a database using ODBC or a proprietary network protocol and deploy it on our desktop PCs using an installation program which the IT department setup for us and off we would go. Well that was OK ten years ago, in fact it was a revolution ten years ago when we compare that Client-Server delivery model to what we had before, anyone remember DOS or Terminal Emulation software for mainframes and mini computers?
So, the web model was cool and the desktop model was all about getting the job done. Wouldn't it be great if we could have an application delivery model that combined the best of the web with the best of the desktop? A rich and engaging user experience, optimised for today's working practices but delivered effortlessly to wherever we wanted to work. Our latest software, available on any computer, anywhere, and so intuitive we don't need manuals to operate it.
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How Do We Develop RIAs?
 
The answer is the new breed of Rich Internet Application, that is what we develop here at Trigger Software in our RIA Practice, using tools like Adobe Flex™ and Microsoft Silverlight™. We don't develop shop front web sites, we don't write meaningless web widgets and we don't write software to welcome your guests in your lobby. We write serious, line of business applications for serious companies.
These aren't applications from the future, using bleeding edge technology these are developing today's applications for customers that will be head and shoulders above the rest of their competition because they are embracing the new world we live in.
Applications that were once internal are now external, the customer is being embraced rather than held at arms length. The speed at which business runs is getting ever faster.
Shorter lead times to market, improved responsiveness to change, improved collaboration and reduced cost of ownership are all benefits to this fantastic new technology.
RIAs are more than just pretty screens and clever animation transitions. Enterprise web development is no different to any other form of enterprise development and all the same challenges face the development team. It's about performance, security and reliability. This is where our experienced team comes into their own. Our background is in the development of grown up enterprise applications that have been audited by some of the best and biggest authorities around. We have come from the enterprise world, not the graphic design or web development world so you can expect all the benefits of our experience wrapped up in our ISO9001 project delivery model. This is enterprise software engineering, by experts in our field with a proven track record.
Contact us today to see how we can help you bring your web applications to life.
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