IT, an alternative to conventional programming

Vishnu K. Mahmud, Contributor, Jakarta

There once was a time when Information Technology (IT) belonged to the elite.

Needed to computerize your catalog system? You had to call in a programmer. Did the company require a new database system? Get a database specialist. Did you want to integrate all the departmental functions into a single computer system that could cater to their individual needs? Buy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software.

Back then, creating custom-made computer applications required a computer science degree, hard-core coding skills and knowledge of some of the world's most complicated computer programming languages. Industrial programs were expensive, frequently hard to maintain, used difficult command line interfaces and required state of the art hardware that would become obsolete within a few years.

That was before the Internet age.

Nowadays, applications can utilize popular yet easy to use graphical user interfaces (GUI) with a mouse. Accessing data is now as simple as logging onto a website, pointing and clicking. The price of computer hardware has dropped, and software is now easier to install and maintain. But there is still the perception that custom-made software is extremely expensive to create.

With advances in technology come new computer programming languages and techniques that make it easier, faster and less expensive to make software. Instead of making an application using conventional programming, companies can instead use Internet Technology.

"Conventional" applications are usually created by programmers using high-level languages such as C++. The application then has to be installed on each computer in a network for it to talk to the main server (if applicable) to share files and data. Staff members would need to be trained in the sometimes archaic commands of the program to complete their tasks.

Internet Technology uses the various client-server associations that are already used online. Proven and tested by millions, Web technology has evolved from creating a simple homepage showcasing your hobbies to running multinational businesses, both on the front side (for their clients) and back end (for their internal business processes).

Instead of installing and executing a program on every computer, users simply fire up their favorite Web browser and access the application via the network. Users' logins can be customized and retain all their data because all information is stored on the central server, not individual machines. Thus, people can be more mobile in accessing and manipulating their data.

There are multiple benefits to using Web technology. No longer do you require new (read expensive) hardware for your users, as any legacy computer (of any type, brand and operating system) with a network card and an Internet browser will do. The application is easy to use as most people are familiar with the graphical Web interface of menus, fill-in forms and hyperlinks.

The Web-based application is hosted on a central server that can be backed up and stored in a different location for Disaster Recovery. It is faster to correct any program errors and add new features since the application is on the server. Change the code on the server and users will immediately see the changes without having to reinstall any programs.

In short, nearly everything conventional software can do, Internet-based technology can also do.

For example, take an educational institution. It compiles information from a variety of sources, mostly paper forms and files from the filing cabinet. Instead of having students fill in the blanks, they could simply walk up to a public terminal on campus (or via the Internet) to enter their information online, and obtain a printout for their school to approve.

Academic administrators could keep track of their students and finances while lecturers could print out their schedules, grades and assignments, all using an Internet-like e-campus application.

Treating the application as a website, the application program can also be expanded (add new features and modules) "on the fly", so no downtime is required.

There are of course limitations to Web-based technology, such as the restrictions of an application due to the complexity of the business process it hopes to emulate. But Internet Technology should be considered the next time a company is in the market for a new system.

There are many talented IT companies in Indonesia that can design and create an application faster and considerably cheaper with Web-based technologies then with conventional software.

And if you have time, you could probably do it yourself! Grab a book, learn a bit of HTML, Javascript, Active Server Pages (ASP) or Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) so you too can create your own software. It doesn't have to be complicated. Even the simplest of Web programs can get the job done.