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WITH TODAY'S dispersed workforce and the ever-changing computer industry,
organizations are consistently in a state of flux trying to keep end-users
up-to-date with the latest upgrades and rollouts of corporatewide
applications. The cost associated with investing in and maintaining office
applications is high.
To ease this burden there is a new model of computing available today in its
infancy, referred to as Webtops. These virtual desktops provide access to
application suites via a Web browser. In the not-too-distant future, users
won't be required to carry laptop computers to access, share, and manipulate
information: they'll simply need Web appliances.
The most widely known Webtops today are those available from ASPs
(application service providers) such as Visto and Magically that provide free
access to productivity tools, such as e-mail and address books, and to
information via any Web browser, be it on a laptop or a handheld device.
These models are good for individuals who need access to a stored document or
organizational tools; however, they lack critical office tools such as word
processing.
Vendors such as SCO are expanding the reach of what is accessible via a Web
browser, offering tools to Web-enable applications running on Windows, Unix,
or mainframe systems. SCO's UnixWare 7.1, for example, comes with a Webtop feature
for Web-enabling applications residing on a UnixWare server (see "Sturdy
UnixWare aims to oust NT, NetWare"). Administrators
control what applications users can access. Additionally, Tarantella, a
spin-off of SCO, offers Web-enabling technology tools for large enterprises
and ASPs to bring applications to their users via the Web.
On the rise are Webtop models competing with Microsoft Office applications
that free organizations and users from being tied to a Windows platform.
Among them are FreeDesk.com and NuoMedia.com, both currently available, and
Sun's StarPortal, which is in beta and due at the end of 2000. All three
offer a complete Web-based office suite. These Webtop solutions eliminate the
need to install office productivity tools on individual workstations and free
users from being bound to their desks.
Sun's initiative can be installed or hosted, giving organizations more
flexibility. Sun also offers a development kit for customization. New
organizations can set up their office easily with these virtual desktops
without having to spend or invest in desktop applications. Companies can
access these applications at no cost; the charges come into play when
companies require more storage space and support.
Research company Gartner predicts Webtops will become mainstream by 2002, and
users will be free from relying on laptops to access the applications and
information they need.
The success of this type of computing also depends on the success of useful
and critical applications available from ASPs. Therefore, ASPs will need to
adopt Web-enabling technologies, such as those offered by Tarantella.
Finally, as the growth in broadband connections improve, these applications
will become more practical.
In the future, users won't need to carry around laptops. Their applications
and files will be available via multiple Internet devices. But they shouldn't
toss out those laptops yet: They'll still need applications access when
they're not connected to the Internet.
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