Web application development is a specialized area of software development involved in developing as well as maintaining software applications, which are utilized for creating web pages or deploying web-based solutions. Currently such development utilizes a wide range of programming languages such as Java and PHP for developing the required therap login. The availability of multiple language choices allows software development companies to ensure that these applications are compatible with a wide range of platforms, servers and systems. The advent of newer technologies and more advanced programming languages as frameworks has increased the development flexibility leading to an exponential increase in the web applications currently available to individual users and enterprises.
Till the turn of the millennia, the web presence of most companies was restricted to having a few static web pages with a list of products/services as well as few product details along with contact details such as email, cell numbers, fax numbers etc. Online ordering was a novelty, which was attempted by very few individuals, online payment was still in its infancy and Google was just a search engine. Fast forward to the present day and a completely different picture confronts us – web pages are dynamic with content designed to attract new customers, online payment systems are used by a large proportion of the internet users, there are multi-billion dollar companies that only operate online and Google is definitely a lot more than a Search Engine.
This transformation did not happen overnight and a multitude of factors precipitated the change – one of which was the rise of web-enabled applications. Current web-enabled applications are necessary to ensure that we can surf the web, save orders/information online, auto-fill online forms, make online payment as well as ensure that any sensitive data (credit card/ bank ID details etc.) provided by us online is kept confidential. From the point of view of enterprises, the growth of web applications has introduced many new ways of doing business, improving profits and expanding into new markets. As the number of companies deploying such applications has grown, so has the number of technologies being used and the areas where these applications have been deployed provide significant benefits.
Beyond Traditional Web Applications: Future of Web Applications
Like any other evolving software technology market, today’s Web Application Development market is expected to grow beyond its traditional domain and provide even newer ways of doing business. The first one is obviously cloud applications – quite a few of these are already in existence such as Dropbox. Cloud applications extend the reach of traditional web-enabled applications and allow users to be truly mobile. Another projected evolution of present day web applications is the introduction of various secure applications, which would ensure that users can carry out their online transactions with superior security and in greater numbers. Another area of software development, mobile application development is also on a collision course with the traditional web application development market mainly due to the exponential increase smart phone usage and increased availability of reasonably-priced mobile internet data plans. Over the next few years, custom software development centers and offshore software development companies are expected to provide a range of web application development services, which are suitable for various enterprises operating in myriad industries.
