Microsoft is 'betting big' on hybrid approach to
application management
There is a quiet revolution happening in IT departments. Almost
a decade ago, many of them started building their IT infrastructure
on a thin client model. Since then, they have not seriously
revisited the decision or simply will not hear a bad word said
about thin clients. However, others are starting to consider
alternatives and reaping the benefits as a result.
Dell, for instance, benefited from a 45% decrease in staff
training costs after deploying its Integrated Dell Desktop.
The arrival of the browser and web-based applications in the
1990s was a godsend to many IT managers. It sought to overcome the
limitations of the traditional client-server model. Although
client-server applications were an improvement on dumb terminals,
they brought deployment and management problems of their own.
Large-scale roll-outs of multiple applications to varied
hardware configurations could be very complex and IT managers
jumped at a solution which eased this administrative and technical
burden.
Browser standardisation
The browser
offered a standardised desktop client with a consistent user
interface. As long as the browser understood the relevant
standards, it did not even matter which browser was used. Although
remote access present ed some security concerns, it also brought
huge benefits. IT managers could roll out new versions of
applications to all their users simultaneously by updating the
version held on the server.
However, web applications suffer from two serious limitations:
they require a constant connection to the network in order to
function properly, and their user interface is often poor and
unresponsive, particularly in comparison to a good
locally-installed application. HTML has turned out to be both a
saving grace for administration and management and a limiting
factor for functionality, usability and ultimately
productivity.
A decade or so on from the arrival of browsers, IT managers no
longer have to sacrifice user productivity and application
functionality in order to ease administration or management
overheads. Yet many do, either because they are not aware of the
alternatives or because the words 'thin client' have become a sort
of corporate mantra.
Feature amalgamation
Discussion of thin
client technology has also become binary over the years. If it is
not thin, it must be 'fat', with all the negative connotations that
go with that word. The truth is that there is now something in
between thin and fat called a 'smart client'. Smart clients take
the best from both models and create something new.
These applications make use of ever-increasing local processing
power and storage across a range of devices, from desktop PCs to
smartphones. Although they can use services available via the
internet, they cache information locally in an intelligent way,
which means they can remain functional when the connection to the
server becomes degraded or ceases. This means productivity is not
lost when the network goes down or the mobile device moves out of
range.
Furthermore, smart clients adopt a deployment model that is
closer to that of a web application, particularly if they are built
around the Windows Forms technology supported by the .net
Framework. These deployments are 'no-touch' and automatically
upgrade if necessary. IT managers retain a fine degree of control
over which resources users can access through deployed
applications.
Because these applications are no longer constrained by the
limitations of HTML and can take advantage of the power of the
desktop PC or mobile device, users see a leap in the functionality
of the application and its ability to match their needs. In short,
they can become more productive.
To explain this further, contrast these two ways of accessing
mail: Outlook Web Access for Exchange Server (OWA) and Outlook 2003
itself. OWA emulates Outlook within a browser and does a good job.
However, it cannot match the real thing for functionality or
performance. Also, OWA can only function when connected to the web
server, whereas Outlook can cope with offline, low-bandwidth and
online situations, synchronising updates when the connection
becomes viable again.
Whether browser- or client-based, any application that connects
to the IT infrastructure from outside the firewall brings security
concerns. Mobile devices can be stolen; wireless networks can be
hacked; the homes of remote workers can be burgled. To guard
against this, the .net Framework incorporates a sophisticated
security framework and encryption facilities that can be used to
ensure locally-cached data remains secure.
Forthcoming developments
This initiative
is not a passing fad for Microsoft: it is 'betting big' on smart
clients. Today, the company supports the concept in three ways:
through Windows Forms, Microsoft Office System and the Windows
Mobile Platform. It is also building deep support for smart clients
into the forthcoming Visual Studio 2005 development tools suite,
with technologies such as ClickOnce deployment.
Looking further ahead to Longhorn versions of Windows, the gap
between a web and a client application will close further with the
advanced graphical functionality found in a new presentation
technology (code-named 'Avalon') and the advanced web-service
technology (code-named 'Indigo'), coupled with very flexible
server-based administration for client applications. Both Avalon
and Indigo will also be supported by Windows XP and Windows Server
2003.
A decade on from the introduction of the browser, there is
another application model to consider and another opportunity to
manage costs, ROI and security while driving user productivity.
Let's do away with the lazy stereotypes and constraints of thin
clients and fat clients and get smart by taking the best from both
worlds.
Mark Quirk is head of the technology, developer and platform
group at Microsoft
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