Tracking Software Boosts Seaport Business

When I first met Chris Lambie, the new Herald Business Editor, I explained that I always strive for my column to be about real life business situations where technology plays a part, and to speak from personal experience as opposed to secondary research.

Why not then write a story about my company and something it has done for the local community, suggested Chris.

“You can do that?” I asked. I’m just a computer guy, not a journalist.

You can do whatever you want, explained Chris, provided you give full disclosure. So here goes:

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Web-Enabled Software Applications Are Less Expensive to Maintain

When it comes to computer software applications, in many ways we have come full-circle since the mainframe days of the 1960s and 1970s. Back then, corporate information was housed in central locations with strict rules for access and modifications. To use the applications, we used “dumb terminals”, whose job was nothing more than displaying information and accepting user data.

When the personal computer revolution came, much more power was given to individuals so that mainframe computers were no longer needed for simple tasks, such as word processing for example. This allowed for huge productivity improvements because it reduced the dependency on the IT department for anything other than centralized systems, such as billing or inventory control.

But then “islands of productivity”, as we called them, emerged with no central control, very little security, and no sharing of corporate data. The first step towards solving this problem was to implement local area networks which connected personal computers together and allowed for sharing of information.

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AJAX Options

AJAX is still a large buzz in the industry.  For some that are just beginning to use this technology, it can be confusing to know where to start.  There are dozens of choices of technologies that will allow you to create AJAX enabled systems, but which do you choose?  Which is the “right” one?

This post will explore some the options we’ve tried as well as the pros and cons of each.

Our experiences in developing web-based applications have not been limited to developing only ASP.NET applications.  We have run the gamut of development technologies though we have standardized on two technologies in particular in the recent number of years; ASP.NET and PHP.

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