Given that the Internet changes rapidly, it’s important to keep abreast of the more important changes in technology. There will be fads that are nothing more than a flash in the pan, as well as trends that come and go. But, there will also be shifts that will dictate the future development and use of the Internet.
One of these shifts could be a new platform developed by Google called Google Gears. This set of APIs allows web applications to be used offline. For example, when people are travelling in airplanes – they have a laptop, but no Internet connection. They’re not able to login to their extranet or intranet and get some work done. Well, leave it to Google to develop and launch a platform that may change our whole perspective on this issue. This is new technology, so I don’t have any experience with it yet. But given that it is a Google project, I think it’s safe to assume it brings this feature request into the realm of reality. Just some food for thought in your next planning meeting with the Business Owners of your web applications.
Second is Microsoft’s Silverlight. A rich media development and distribution platform, Silverlight aims to overtake Adobe’s current dominance in the industry currently owned by the Flash and Flex technologies. To understand just how enthusiastically Silverlight is being accepted by the development community, I’ll share a quote from Michael Arrington, who was at the Mix conference where it was showcased:
“Silverlight will be the platform of choice for developers who build rich Internet applications. It makes Flash/Flex look like an absolute toy. After the keynote, the main topic of conversation in the hallways centered on just how effectively Microsoft carried out its execution of Adobe.”
Web Developer exuberance is always fun to witness, but there is no denying that Silverlight will be a force to be reckoned with. If you are starting a development project, it’s not necessarily important to rush these new technologies into your specifications. Instead, it’s important that you work with a web development team whose knowledge of Internet development technologies runs deep. Their ability to adopt new trends and technologies, and leverage them where appropriate, is a fundamental of a good partnership between you and your web development team.
