New web site technology - will be a definite strategic competitive advantage for many. Taken from biz times daily. www.daily@biztimes.com Prepare for the next generation of Web sites

Originally published 2005-12-28 00:00:00

Progressive businesses staying ahead of the curve are preparing to adopt new Rich Internet Applications for their Web sites, according to a new "Best Practice Report" by the University of Wisconsin E-Business Institute (UWEBI). "Using a browser, end users can book airline tickets, bid on auctions, check e-mail, buy and sell stocks, submit tax forms, or listen to music from any networked computer. If this was the first wave of Web applications, the second big wave is yet to come in the form of Rich Internet Applications (RIAs)," the report states. "The Internet was originally designed for simply transporting documents and information. The technology it was built upon lacked the interactivity of desktop applications. That's changed in the past decade as innovators have developed a richer user experience, despite huge challenges … Thanks to this breakthrough discovery, we can now deliver very sophisticated, responsive, interactive and graphically rich applications over the Web. RIA technologies are not only enriching user experiences, but also empowering businesses to reduce development time and costs, taking web development to a whole new level. The second wave of Web applications is now starting to roll in. The questions companies need to ask internally is when to get on board, and how best to ride the tide." As a case study, the report cites the interactive and experiential differences between Yahoo! Maps and Google Maps. Yahoo! Maps is a two dimensional, traditional, plotted mapping system. Using RIA technologies, Google Maps enables users to navigate global satellite images of locations. Some of the emerging RIA programs include the AJAX, Macromedia Flash and Java platforms. The UWEBI is Wisconsin's leading center for multidisciplinary research collaboration, technology innovation and industry outreach on e-business. The full report about the impact of RIA technologies is available at www.uwebi.org.