As discussed in the November 10 issue, Microsoft "Sea Change", the shift to Internet-based software and services has begun and Web developers with the right skills should benefit from this "sea change."Enter a new competitor: Salesforce.com. This company created one of the most successful Web applications -- software programs that are not installed on your desktop, but rather, are available for use on the Internet. Their customer relationship management (CRM) Web application competes with software products at a fraction of the cost. Typically Web applications like these are rented for a monthly fee, as opposed to purchased for a one-time price.
SalesForce.com has officially launched AppExchange, its Website for providing a common access point and development platform for many different kinds of Web applications. The company's goal is to become an on-demand business application development platform -- one that developers think of first for building applications.
One popular software program has already been transformed into a Web application -- Adobe's Acrobat for creating pdf files. While this application requires a subscription fee to use, here are four promising applications that can be used for FREE:
You can give these and many other Web applications a "test drive" at the AppExchange Website before deciding to activate the application.
Want to learn more about Web applications? Simply download a white paper (pdf). Better yet, Salesforce.com would love to have you develop your own Web applications and make them available on AppExchange. They have even created Salesforce.com's AppExchange for Dummies to guide you through the process. A FREE copy will be mailed to you! All you have do is register and in no time you can enter the world of Web application development.