Rich Internet Applications:  New Possibilities for Web Interfaces

When the Web was young, people were easier to please. Even though web sites were slow and simple, people delighted in the ability to find information when they wanted it, research and purchase products, and expand the way they communicated and interacted with businesses. Because of all the new things they could do, most people weren't bothered by the fact that web sites generally weren't as full-featured or easy to use as the average desktop application. Most of the Web consisted of text, links, images, and a few basic form elements, and that was good enough.

Times are changing. Internet usage has grown, and as web sites evolve and functionality becomes more complex, the limitations of the old Web are becoming more apparent to businesses and to their customers. More and more often, people wonder why the Web can't work more like the desktop applications they use every day.

Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) bring new ways of interacting with the Web that were previously possible only with desktop applications and other non-Web interfaces. The resulting experiences feel richer to users because the site feels more responsive, more interactive, more intuitive, and even more enjoyable to use.  These new types of experiences lead to improved business results because they better satisfy what users need and how they need it.

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