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Web-based Versus Web-enabled 

Move to Web-based Applications

Corporations have experienced a significant paradigm shift. The basis of computing is web-centric because of the benefits received when using web technology. This change is as significant as the move from DOS to Windows, and the introduction of PC's into a mainframe environment. 

Software companies that have not delivered their products in a true web-based form will find it significantly difficult to survive in current and future business and Information System (IS) environments. 

Thriving versus Surviving 

Web-based products are thriving. They have proven they deliver their projected Return-on-Investment (ROI) and are an overall lower Total Cost of Ownership (TOC), than the traditional client/server based counterparts which are fighting for survival. 

The formula to assess ROI and TOC has also changed. Web-based products allow for the investment and ownership costs to be distributed across multiple departments. The business improvements and savings are also recognized across the same departments 'bottom line', thus extending improvements throughout the organization. The improvements and savings are on-going as your business grows and expands adoption of web-based applications since the deployment is not IS resource intensive. 

The 3 Defining Rules of Web-based Products 

Web-based applications require only a web browser, security, and access to the web site, (intranet or Internet) for a user to connect and use the product. 

Web-based products do not require any additional client/server companion products to set up, maintain, or use the product. 

The product resides on a web server. 

Common Signs of a Web-enabled Application

A limited set of functions or capabilities are available in the web browser product. 

Terms to describe web-enabled products are web viewer, web component, or web front end. 

The product requires an additional product or 'component', which is the traditional client/server application. 

The product cannot 'stand on its own' and 'cannot exist' without its counterpart. 

Web-enabled products are typically first generation initiatives by companies to provide some form of limited access to their original client/server programs. 









Web-based products are much easier to maintain. In an enterprise environment, this means significant savings in deployment costs. Web-based products use their enterprise database backend more efficiently, which reduces charges for database seats. Web-based products operate more competently in a network environment to minimize network traffic and conserve bandwidth. 

Benefits of Web Technology 

Easy to Install: Web-based applications are installed centrally on a single server. In an enterprise environment, this means saving tens of thousands of dollars because there is no need to visit each user PC to install the software.

No Driver Conflict: Maintaining a client/server network is difficult because you must install software on each PC. This often means hours of labor during the installation process and after the fact to ensure that there is no driver conflict between all the applications installed on the PC. 

Lower Database Licensing Cost: A web-based product changes the database licensing cost from a per-seat model to a concurrent user model. This results in decreased deployment costs ranging from 25 to 75 percent. Again, this is a cost saving of several thousands of dollars in an enterprise environment. 

Easier On-going Maintenance: New releases of the software are installed at a central server, eliminating the need to update each workstation. This significantly reduces the on-going maintenance costs. 

Reduced Training Costs: End users are already familiar with their browser and its functionality. This provides a familiar starting point for the end user making it easier for them to adapt to a web-based system. 

Minimizes Network Traffic: A true web-based product operates efficiently in a network environment by minimizing the volume of transactions moving up and down the network. Users in the system receive only the information they need. Procedures stored on the network do all the database work, which minimizes the amount of horsepower needed at the client PC. 


Web-Enabled 

A review of the records management solutions on the market today will show that almost all companies, with the exception of TRIADD Software, claim to have web-based software when, in fact, they only have web-enabled software. The browser-based add-ons that they deploy generally have very limited capabilities. All of the core functionality for Records Information Management is still done by their traditional client/server products. 

Problems with Web-enablement 

The world is moving very rapidly towards web-based products. History will repeat itself. Products that are web-enabled will not survive and are rapidly being pushed out of the market by newer, more-powerful products. 

Web-enabled products suffer some major deficiencies that will create significant problems for the groups that deploy them. These problems are: 

  • Out-dated Approach: A web-enabled product merely continues the traditional approach to records management. Records are entered using a centralized approach with a traditional software product. This information is then made available to the intranet for viewing and requesting. 

  • Second Product Required: A web-enabled product only provides partial records management functionality. In order to engage the users more fully, a traditional client/server product will be needed to add or edit information, enter retention schedules, manage the record center and other related tasks. This approach does not engage the user around the intranet nor does it build an intranet-centric approach to records management. 

  • Training: Deployment of a web-enabled product has a major impact on training. You will need to train on two very different platforms: a traditional client/server product for managing the content and a browser based product for viewing, searching, and requesting. 

One objective of an enterprise system is to ‘keep it simple’. This means providing all the necessary records management functionality to the end user in a single package. If the user has to go to one application to add content and to another to request and search, training is going to be a continual problem. 

This approach creates unnecessary complexity that will serve as a barrier to intranet collaboration and reduce the chance of success. 

  • Limited Set of Needs Met: Web-enabled records management applications appeal to a very limited set of users. They typically allow users to view, request, and search for records. This defeats the very purpose of web-based systems. The objective of an intranet, for records management, is to provide a common platform where all users can participate as fully as possible. 

  • Minimizes Collaboration: A web-enabled product serves only a limited set of needs and restricts the impact of the intranet. Searching and requesting information does not encourage collaboration among the users. It does not build the emotional commitment needed to the make the intranet successful. An intranet that does not allow for complete interaction of the user will not achieve its full potential. 

  • Minimizes Ownership: A web-enabled product that does not allow for the user to add their own content (subject to strict rules, of course) minimizes ownership of the information and ownership of the process. 

  • Greater Cost of Deployment: In an enterprise application, web-enabled products will be far more expensive to deploy because they will also require the installation of the fat-client component whenever content needs to be managed. The more users you have that need to manage content, the greater the deployment cost will be. Cost of deployment will be greater due to more database licenses required and the costs incurred from installing the product on every client PC.

  • Ultimate Replacement: Web-enabled applications have limited life in the market. They will eventually be replaced by more robust web-based products. Product replacement is always an issue with end users and the web culture that you need to create. A fully developed product will have a different look and feel along with a new set of functions. When you upgrade to the new product you will have to obtain more training and deal with the disruption of a new system all over again. This problem can be completely avoided by going to a web-based product immediately. 



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For more information and a complete demonstration of the capabilities of Gain RM Web Editions, please contact:

TRIADD Software
13212 N.E. 16th Street
Suite 311
Bellevue, WA 98005
sales@triaddsoftware.com
800.877.9564 / 425.643.3700 ext. 205
www.triaddsoftware.com

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