The internet has been dominating the world for quite some time now. Social media has taken the world by storm and the development of numerous web-based applications has made it easier for businesses to perform crucial tasks with just a click of a button and a fast internet connection. This leaves us asking one question: are web-based applications actually better than desktop ones? Well, let’s take a look at a few benefits of using web-based applications to find out:
No Installation Required
One of the main benefits of using web-based applications is that it never requires lengthy installation processes and doesn’t consume any hard drive space. All applications are virtually stored on the cloud and can be accessed anytime, anywhere, even through your smartphone, tablets and laptops. Not to mention, all web-based applications deliver desktop-like look and feel and functionality, without loss of performance or hard drive space.
Free Maintenance and Upgrades
Desktop applications can somewhat get incredibly inconvenient, due to their need of installing the latest upgrades and security updates every few days or months. Conversely, web-based applications don’t require any installation and since they are hosted by a web host, all updates and maintenance checks are performed automatically. Therefore, this eliminates the need to individually patch upgrades on each computer in an organisation.
Accessible Anywhere, Anytime
Web-based applications work the same way people access their emails from a browser. You simply choose the app you want to use and voila! You are using the app, without any hassle of installation. This means, you don’t only have to depend on computers to access numerous applications. In fact, you can even access web-based applications through mobile devices with an internet connection. Therefore, these applications offer the ultimate convenience.
Easy To Customise and Use
When compared to desktop applications, the user interface of web-based applications is easier to customise and edit. Therefore, you can easily update the feel and look of the applications or customise the presentation of information to different user groups with just a click of a button. This in turn provides businesses the opportunity to improve interoperability, as web-based applications make it possible to rapidly integrate enterprise systems, thus improving work-flow and other processes.
Adaptable To Increased Workload
Desktop applications completely rely on your computer’s hard drive space, processor speed, and RAM in order to run efficiently and effectively. This means, if an application requires more power to perform tasks, you need to upgrade your computer or laptop consequently. Conversely, web-based applications will only require the server hardware to be upgraded. Therefore, as the workload of your business increases, new servers can be added to system in order to enhance the performance of applications.
Provide more Security
As mentioned earlier, web-based applications are typically deployed by a web host. Therefore, they are maintained and monitored regularly by experienced server administrators that handle all issues and problems with the app and provide the latest security upgrades. Therefore, web-based applications are more effective and efficient, as compared to monitoring hundreds of client computers, when using desktop applications.
As you can see, there are many benefits of using web-based applications. Therefore, if you want to receive these benefits mentioned above, then perhaps it’s time you shift from desktop to web as well.