The Move to Online Based Software

Lately more and more I have been reading about software companies planning to release the next versions of their software online, and have been wondering what the advantages would be, if any. As opposed to desktop installed software, online software seems to have a lot of flaws - slower load up times, slower performance and basically a reliance on a good internet connection. It was only after some more thinking on the topic that I realized what a good idea it was, for quite a few reasons. The first of these is that it gives software companies a goal to reach towards, it makes the products totally mobile, and it means more people can use their software. I explain each point in more detail below.

The first point, giving software companies a goal to reach towards, basically means that most software products on the market today are either reaching or have already reached full maturity - what I mean by this is that their feature set is completely full, so to make a new version of the software becomes more and more difficult. The only way they can really progress is by adding small and minute features that most users won't even need or want, thus unjustifying an unnecessary purchase. Look at all the recent versions of Microsoft Office, for instance. The only things that seem to change are the interface, and a few nondescript, non mentionable changes to the main product. Porting their software products to exist online is a new challenge, and a new way to refresh a companies software line-up. This way they can generate new markets and new revenue for the same products.

The second point is quite important as well. One of the main advantages is the mobility of online software, meaning that you only need access to an internet connection to use your software.This clears up a lot of headaches seeing as you will not need two separate copies of a program for home and work, or even your laptop/fancy cellphone etc. This way you can always bring the software with you no matter where you go, provided there is some sort of internet connection available. You will also need less space on your mobile device to use the software, allowing capable cellphones and similar devices to be able to run these products. Seeing as WiFi internet is becoming more and more widespread, it is getting a lot easier to have a constant internet connection wherever you travel.

The third point is in my eyes the most important, and that is that more people can use the software. In fact, 100% of people with internet connections will be able to use the software, regardless of what hardware or operating system they use. This will bode very well for both the Apple and Linux camps, as software will stop being made for specific hardware or operating systems. So instead of targeting the 80% of PC/Windows computer users (broad estimate) they can target instead the full 100% of the market, allowing people to use the software they require without any of the current platform related problems.

I believe the move to online based programs is a good one indeed, it just requires some thinking to pinpoint exactly what advantages will become inherent through the change. No idea of the time frame of this change, although Google already has a full office suite available, and Adobe is currently working on online ports of all its software including the popular Photoshop. It has began.