Online Apps On the Rise
March 28 2008 / by Venessa Posavec
Category: Technology Year: 2008 Rating: 5
As the spirit of Web 2.0 takes hold, there’s a growing trend of
companies taking their desktop applications to the web. Just this
week, Adobe made the move with the
announcement of Adobe Photoshop Express, a free, online photo
editing service. There have even been
rumors circulating lately that Microsoft may finally offer a
web-based version of its Office suite. It seems like a smart move,
both for the company and the consumer. 
Web-based apps are a cost effective alternative to software that needs to be downloaded, and they’re easily accessible from any computer. A big advantage for an office or productivity product, like Google Docs or Zoho, is the ability to collaborate on a document/project with others in real time, both editing simultaneously. Free versions aren’t as robust as what you get for a few bucks a month, but it provides a good test drive before you commit to a broader range of services, and gives the company exposure they might not otherwise get.
In the light of Adobe’s new Photoshop service, combined with its existing web-based applications (storage library & embedding, document editor, & web-conferencing), some speculate that an entire online suite may be on its way. To that end, we could edit, discuss, and post a photo all from one convenient location.
There are already hundreds of applications available online, from picture sharing and social bookmarking, to money management and productivity. Websites are becoming more secure, and we can simplify some aspects of our lives by consolidating important business and personal information from the desktop to the web. Combine that accessibility with new mashup service packages and wi-fi enabled mobile devices, and it’s easy to imagine how storing and sharing our information will be possible from anywhere, anytime.
It will be even better when there’s a portal where we can get all that information in one spot online, instead of having to sign in to different services for each application.
