Thin is In: Anywhere, Anytime Access to Critical Data.

IN THE WORLD of computing, thin is definitely in. In fact, the future of computing appears to be moving toward smaller, thinner computing devices called Web appliances. With thin computing and Web appliances we finally may realize the promise of "pervasive computing"--anywhere, anytime access to critical programs and data.

WHAT'S HAPPENING

If your critical business applications and data aren't on the Web, they probably will be. Virtually every major software vendor already has developed, or is working on a strategy to make their application software and your data available over the Internet via a Web browser, either on a monthly subscription or per-use basis through application service providers.

An application service provider sets up and maintains hardware server "farms" (large facilities of servers) to host applications, which eliminate the need for companies to devote in-house hardware and staff resources to run applications. For more information on ASPs, see: http://www.calcpa.org/californiacpa/articles/2000/tech-asp.html.

If the thought of your critical data residing on an ASP server gives you chills, all is not lost. This very same type of functionality--external Internet access to your data via a Web browser--also is available through products like Citrix Metaframe, which allow you to store programs and information on your company's internal network, not on external servers. Whether you choose to access your applications and data from an external ASP or internal Citrix MetaFrame, eventually, a thin client or Web appliance is all you'll need to access whatever you need, whenever you need it.

WEB APPLIANCES

Web appliances come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, but can be broken into two broad categories: communication and information-centric. Communication-centric devices include Web-enabled cellular phones and pagers, which allow users to read and respond to e-mail in real time, download selected Web content and connect to ASPs. However, designed for voice communications, they are not terribly efficient for heavy-duty data entry.

Information-centric devices enter and retrieve text and graphical information via keyboards or handwriting recognition for volume data entry. They include everything from a traditional desktop PC to newer, "thinner" devices such as thin clients, e-machines and hand-held computing devices.

Why are these devices called thin? First, very little computing or processing actually takes place on these units. Instead, they are used to connect to company critical servers or ASPs. Next, many of these devices aren't designed to run full-blown versions of the Windows operating system. Instead, most thin devices run much smaller footprint operating systems such as Windows Pocket PC, Palm OS or Linux along with a Web browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape.

What all of these newer devices have in common is the ability to connect you via a Web browser to back-end servers where your critical data and applications reside.

ADVANTAGES

These smaller, simpler devices offer significant advantages. They usually are much less expensive than traditional PCs, ranging in price from $100--$600. Also, they are easier to set up and maintain. Often the only setup required is connecting them to your in-house network or pointing them to the servers where your applications and data reside.

Since there are fewer moving parts and consequently less to go wrong, ongoing maintenance usually consists of occasional flash upgrades to the operating system. This allows IT staff to spend more time maintaining company critical servers and less time continually servicing end-user machines. Further, since most programs reside on back-end servers, end-users access to the latest application versions is virtually instantaneous. Finally, since these thin devices run smaller, lighter operating systems and complex processing takes place on heavy-duty, back-end servers, speed is often significantly improved. Given the advantages, organizations definitely should factor Web appliances into their hardware upgrade plans.

With applications and data housed on robust back-end servers and simpler, cheaper, faster devices in the hands and on the desktops of end-users, the prospect of pervasive computing can become a reality for all businesses.

David M. Cieslak, CPA, MCP, is a principal of Information Technology Group, a computer consulting firm with offices in Encino, Camarillo and Valencia. He is the 2000-01 president of the Education Foundation Board of Trustees.