Web applications are software applications which are delivered over the Internet, as opposed to being run from a CD or a computer desktop. A web application is stored, maintained and updated on a remote server. The connection between your browser and the server is an IP (Internet) connection, hence the term “web-based”. These applications are not simple web pages or database lookup routines — they are true applications: software which provides some sort of computer-based functionality.
The primary differences between a web application and a standard software application include:
- Web applications are not installed via a CD or file download of the entire application
- The user interface (GUI) is the Web Browser
- While some portions of the application may technically “run” on the local client computer, the physical program is housed and maintained on a remote server computer (web host).
Virtually any software application can be delivered as a web application, from personal applications such as address books, calendars and time management to business applications like accounting, billing and project management.