Studies in Software as a Service

CONNECTIONS

Article from Issue 89/2008

Author(s): JOE CASAD

You can find a web service that does almost anything your home computer can do. This month we study some examples of Software as a Service.

Years ago, it was common for an application to run on a central system with a ring of users operating through terminals or terminal-style network connections. This vision lives on today in the form of web-based applications providing software as a service. The web-application paradigm means no one has to burn the software onto a CD, package it in a colorful box, and ship it to a retail shop. In fact, you don’t even need to provide a download link or offer a help line for users who can’t get through the installation. All the end user needs to do is start up a browser and click on a link.

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF

Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES

Print Issues

Digital Issues

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Print Subs

Digisubs

TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS

US / Canada

UK / Australia

Related content

Free Software Foundation Releases GNU Affero General Public License Version 3

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) today published the GNU Affero General Public License version 3 (GNU AGPLv3). The license based on version 3 of the GNU General Public License (GNU GPLv3) has an additional term to allow users who interact with the licensed software over a network to receive the source for that program. By publishing this license, the FSF aims to foster user and development communities around network-oriented free software.

more »
Affero GPL Draft Posted for Discussion

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) has completed and posted the final draft of the GNU Affero GPL Version 3 (AGPL).

more »
Debian Takes AGPL Software into Main

The FTP team at the Debian project have decided that the Affero GPL version 3 licensing (AGPLv3) is consistent enough with the guidelines of the Linux distro that software with the licensing can go into Debian's main archive.

more »
Concourse Connect: AGPL Software for Community Websites

U.S. firm Concursive has released the first version of its ConcourseConnect Web platform. The open source product serves to build community websites with blogs, wikis, picture galleries and other interactive features.

more »
OTRS-ITSM 2.0 Moves Further to ITIL

The IT Service management module of the Open Ticket Request System (OTRS) adopts another ITIL process in version 2.0: change management.

more »