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Which is Better,
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The question of whether one should select PC or Web software is often overlooked when buying software. Confusion, misinformation, and habits
learned in the pre-Web days are a few of the reasons. After all, people are
familiar with PCs. They're not that sure about Web software.
The issue is muddled further because browsers run on PCs and so it would appear the differences are minimal. Some might even argue the answer is subjective. But as you shall see in this article, it is not subjective
at all.
Take two software products. Let's assume one is a PC program and the other is Web-based, meaning the program is installed on a server and is accessed via a Web browser on the same or different PC. Now let's assume both the PC and Web software products have similar functionality. Which is better? As you'll find out, the correct answer is the Web software product.
Now consider another scenario. Suppose you have two products, each with the functionality you require but the PC product has more features. Again, we ask, "Which is better?" As you'll find out, the answer is not necessarily the PC product. Even if it has more features.
Even a Web software product with fewer features
than its PC competitor is often the better choice!
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The reason is that Web software, by being Web-based, offers huge advantages over PC software. These advantages rarely appear on a feature list so they are easily overlooked. But they are often extremely important -- so important they should be at the top of every software buyer's priority list.
To explain this, we start by looking at the underlying reasons behind business software purchases. We assume, and hope you would agree, that one kind of software is better than another if it's better for your business or organization.
Why Buy Software?
To answer this question we remind you this article does not pertain to game software, graphics or video software, or the kind of software imbedded in cell phones. Rather, we're concerned with business software capable of running in browsers.
If a Web-based version of a PC software product is not available, or it
cannot be built because the product needs high-end graphics, video, or computing resources, then chances are the PC product (by default) is the better choice. As an example, games are better on PCs than over the Web.
High-end graphics programs, video editing software, and simulation software
is better on PCs or dedicated workstations, than over the Web.
But, when it comes to software for building and running businesses and organizations, Web software shines.
In this case, we buy software for one of the following two reasons:
1. To lower labor costs and increase productivity.
2. To support business growth and change.
We do not buy (or should not buy) software because one product has "cool features" the other does not have. We should not buy a product simply because it feels a bit speedier or has prettier screens. We should buy software to lower costs, improve productivity, solve problems, or facilitate growth and changes in operations. As it turns out, these are the same reasons Web business software is better than PC software.
Labor Costs and Productivity
Web software, unlike its PC counterpart, runs from the nearest browser. For those unfamiliar with Web software, this may feel strange at first. It may raise fears that Web software requires more labor, time, and skills to operate. But the latest Web software products are being designed like Web sites. They're actually a lot easier to use than PC-style software as we discuss later in this article. Using a browser to access your software has many advantages.
PC software does not run through browsers. It's single-user or networked. Applications reside on each PC. If you have ten PCs then this means ten times as much software to maintain. If you have twenty PCs, this means twenty times as much software to maintain. With Web software, each PC is a "terminal," meaning the PC requires only a browser. The application runs on one "server" PC - the central PC accessed by the PC terminals.
The server PC can be a stand-alone PC with no connection to the outside world. It can be a PC on the office network. The server PC can be a shared hosting provider account (costing $30 to $100
per month) accessible to anyone in the office or on the Web. It can be a PC located at a hosting provider location (costing $200 to $400 per month) also accessible to anyone in the office or on the Web.
Unlike PC software, Web software starts out multi-user and highly accessible. And most Web software vendors, like Aestiva, include installation and setup with purchase. There is no downside, only an upside.
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Hosting Providers -- The Best Bargain In Town
If you wish to control costs then consider renting a server from a Hosting Provider. When doing so, you typically get a server for running any number of Web products, the maintenance of that server, daily backups, security, and most importantly, no need for in-house technical skills. At
under $5,000 annual, it's a great way to serve almost any number of staff while keeping IT costs down. |
More Expandable
Once a Web software product is set up on the server computer you have a truly expandable application with lower future costs. Any computer added to your office network is instantly a potential user of the Web Software product. No
software is needed on the new PC.
More Office-Friendly
When running a Web software product, if a PC terminal goes down, the user can continue their work on a different PC terminal. Afer all, the PC terminal is just a PC with a browser. There is no downtime as hardware is replaced. No need to upgrade each PC as new Web products are introduced into your operations. No need to worry about the exact version of the software or hardware on each PC terminal. No need to go back and upgrade a PC terminal or keep it up-to-date. The one-time installation and setup of a Web software product takes little time and generates huge savings.
Consider two companies, one with a PC application installed on 20 workstations, and one that uses a Web software package installed at a hosting service or on a single server. The company with PC software needs to dedicate an employee to the task of maintaining all the applications. It's a part-
time job, at best. With Web software there is no software to maintain on each PC. The cost savings from running a Web product rather than a PC product range between $1,000 to $5,000 per employee per application per year. And the savings grow as you grow. But this is not the only savings area. You also have the cost of training a user and the time it takes a user to become proficient. Here too Web software wins over PC software.
Those free downloads that lure you into using
PC software can hurt your business considerably.
Web software was born on the World-Wide-Web where applications require no training. Web software is intuitive. The browser almost ensures it. Everyone is familiar with the Web, its links, options, and screen layouts. The Web evolved this way. People visiting Web sites need to use the sites
without the benefit of training courses, or PC-style help.
This Darwinian evolution placed emphasis on ease-of-use and intuitive design. As a result, today's Web software is usually easier to use than PC
style software. There's rarely any need for training, and extensive training materials. Staff do not have the same fears or require costly and time-consuming training when new Web software is made available. People are more productive from the beginning. And, re-training is rarely necessary.
Another benefit is the fact Web software is more accessible than PC software. If the PC connected to your Web software product fails the user simply continues their work on a different computer. Work can continue as the original PC is repaired. No time is spent waiting unproductively as data is recovered, transferred, or the PC is repaired.
Another benefit is data is easier to back up. After all, it resides on a single server (which, if you're using a hosting provider, will be backed up for you). The PC terminals do not need to be backed up. Also, since all information resides on a single server, security is easier. There's only one PC to protect. And, since the application resides on a single server, the overall system is easier to keep up and running. Whereas most PCs have uptimes (the time a computer continuously runs before it fails) of one to ten days, server PCs (especially those using Unix or Linux operating systems) can
have uptimes of a year or more. Web applications, unlike their PC counterparts, are more reliable, more robust, and more dependable. The result -- your business runs smoother.
The benefits discussed in this section result in lower labor costs and greater productivity. In the next section we discuss how Web software is better for business growth and change.
Business Growth
The second major reason people buy software is to facilitate business growth and change. Here too, Web software is better than PC software. There are three reasons for this.
First, Web software can be deployed faster with less training needs. Application deployment is not preceded with a phase in which each PC is inspected and upgraded to meet the requirements of the application. This phase is time-consuming and labor-intensive. It can also be costly and disruptive since upgrades cause problems that spill over to other applications residing on the same PCs.
PC deployments often take months. Organizations often encounter unexpected upgrade problems giving rise to emergencies, panic, extra spending, and the need to change business plans.
Even worse, the problems associated with PC application deployments lower
future expectations. Fast growth and change is no longer deemed possible. Employees start thinking in terms of years, rather than
months. Contrast the problems associated with PC deployments with the deployment of a Web software application.
To deploy a Web software application the server admin adds an entry to the user's intranet menu, and then sends each user an email memo saying, "Here's the new application we've been talking about, go for it." Months of work is compressed down to a single email.
The second reason Web software is better for business growth is because Web software can be customized easier than PC software. If an out-of-the-box application is not available to meet your needs then you can build one, have one built, or write some screens that perform the extra tasks you
need.
Adding extra screens is a lot easier with Web software because Web software is multi-user. You write one program and that's it. Plus, Web software applications can be built faster. A product that takes a few hours to build using Aestiva HTML/OS, a Web software programming environment, could take many weeks using PC tools. The faster development times give you the ability to respond faster to changing business needs.
Web software is also easier to integrate with your Web site than PC software. This is particularly important since business operations often include more users than simply your staff. Operations may include prospective and existing customers, partners, and vendors. Web applications include Web site components whereas PC applications provide such capabilities as an afterthought. Most
often, PC applications store staff data in different formats and locations than Web site data. The "disconnect" causes huge integration problems and costly limitations.
Web Software - It's Made for Business.
The limitations of PC software can be summed up as follows.
PC software is fine for single-user applications, especially those involving
a high amount of graphics, video editing, and games. But for business infrastructures, Web software is better.
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