In the Beginning

When handheld computers went mainstream, developers had only one choice: Palm Pilot. Within five years, they had Symbian and Pocket PC (later Windows Mobile) to consider also. By 2009, there were no less than eight major operating systems for smartphones: two versions of Windows Mobile, two versions for Blackberry, iPhone, Android, Symbian, and webOS, not to mention traditional feature phones running various flavors of Java.

The Impact

Developers were forced to make the tough choice of which operating system to develop for. Making it harder, customers were scattered and were requesting versions of a variety of platforms, with no one platform controlling the market, unlike the desktop world. Until a few months ago, they had only one choice: develop for each platform independently, picking and choosing which to support, each with huge costs and unknown payback.

That, however, is changing. Developers now have three ways to develop cross-platform. And while these technologies are still in their early days, they will evolve rapidly.

HTML 5 and the Mobile Web

One option is to forgo installed applications altogether and develop mobile Web applications. HTML 5, with its access to local databases, makes this possible. There are two major obstacles to this strategy right now: first, ubiquity of HTML 5-enabled browsers and, second, a willingness among customers to accept it as a standard.

While the first will be solved with time and pressure from other OS platforms, the second is a bigger problem. The customer's willingness to accept Web-based applications is a psychological change that takes years to evolve. Device owners have been trained that cell phone connections are inherently unstable. In many places the connection disappears, and until that is resolved this mental adjustment cannot begin to take hold.

Flash

Adobe recently announced its push into the mobile space, with Flash-enabled browsers for most platforms and a Flash-to-iPhone-app compiler for Apple's smartphones and handhelds. This would allow developers to write all of their apps in Flash and then deploy on multiple mobile browsers and the iPhone via a compiled application.

This still suffers from many of the same disadvantages of HTML 5, because it requires a psychological change in customers to accept running apps in the browser. In addition, Apple's hard-nosed stance against Flash in the browser will impede this movement because it will require two completely separate creation processes.

Finally, for Flash to take hold, operating system manufacturers will have to start treating Web-enabled applications the same as non-Web-enabled ones. For example, launching Web apps from the home page must become standard.

JavaScript Native Apps

A new class of applications has arisen. These are native applications that are compiled for a specific platform but that use Web technologies for the user interface. This has the most potential. The most prominent one currently is PhoneGap. Other solutions include Appcelerator and Rhomobile, which uses the Ruby on Rails Web development language.

These technologies, all open sourced, enable developers to write back-end processes in the native code and all of the user interfaces in HTML, CSS and JavaScript. This application is then compiled into a native application. It can be uploaded to app stores, distributed via downloading and installed directly to the device.

The fundamental problem with mobile development isn't the back end, though. The backbone of all of these platforms is C or Java, which is generally portable if written with that intention. The problem is user interface development, which requires deep knowledge and understanding of each mobile device. Making the UI cross-platform solves the vast majority of problems associated with this kind of development. If you had to point to where the approach falls short, it would be that cross-platform applications don't feel "native," a shortcoming that would be solved by good design and better CSS work!

Conclusion

As the smartphone market evolves, we are unlikely to see a clear winner as we did in the PC business; and because of that, developers will be forced to write for multiple platforms. But for the first time in a decade, developers have options for multiple-device development. The cost and learning curve associated with writing native apps for every platform can finally be mitigated.

While all of these technologies are early to market, the writing is clearly on the wall. After more than a decade of discussion, the combination of Flash, HTML 5 and JavaScript will make "write once, use everywhere" a reality.

Guest author: Elia Freedman is the CEO of Infinity Softworks, the leading provider of software calculators, with over 15 million distributed. In its 13-year history, Infinity Softworks has developed applications for iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows, Palm OS and Windows Mobile. Elia writes about tech, mobile and running a business on his blog, eliainsider.com.

Apple iPhone owners can choose to download approximately 65,000 services from the App Store, meanwhile Nokia's Ovi only offers 4,500 applications. According to the Financial Times, "While Apple has just one phone, Nokia is trying to put mobile applications on 75 of its handsets. It is a far more challenging task." Nevertheless, Nokia aims to level the playing field with web technologies.

One way the company is hoping to catch up to Apple across all its devices is by hosting competitions to encourage Flash Lite-based development. Most recently, Nokia announced the finalists in its "Calling All Innovators" global developer competition. Categories include web applications and runtime widgets, Adobe Flash Lite-based applications, emerging market services and location-aware services utilizing Ovi Maps. While each of the category winners will receive cash awards, the Flash Lite category winner will receive an additional prize of $10,000 from Nokia's Open Screen Project Fund. Nokia needs to fund efficient distribution across 75 devices and multiple platforms, and Adobe needs a mobile poster child to sing its deployment praises across mobile, desktop, and consumer electronics devices.

If Kallasvuo wants to increase Nokia's revenue, he needs mobile developers to choose to work on web based applications before building their services with the iPhone software development kit. From here, the application marketplace that offers the best revenue split and most downloads is certain to come out on top. While no individual Nokia handset will compete against Apple's iPhone or Research in Motion's Blackberry Curve, the number of devices sold might tempt developers to make the switch.

In fact, the ability for mobile web developers to get their apps on a number of platforms without having to start from scratch each time has been made even easier as of late thanks to a new project called Phonegap. This open source development tool is actually a web-based platform that lets developers build apps in HTML and JavaScript while also allowing those apps to take advantage of the core features in the iPhone, Android, and Blackberry.

When you look at the type of applications built using this technology, you may be surprised. If you didn't already know they were made using PhoneGap, you may have thought that they were native applications. Take the Blok-Buster game (iTunes URL) for example, a Tetris-inspired game that involves clearing similarly-colored blocks from the screen. You can tilt the phone horizontally, vertically, or even flip it upside down and it behaves just as a native application would. Yet it is just a web app using the PhoneGap's functionality.

Technology like this can speed up the process of getting applications deployed across a number of platforms. That's something that is more critical than ever as we move forward with mobile web development. Today, there are just too many languages and platforms to code for and in the future there could be even more. So, perhaps we shouldn't be focused solely on native applications as the future of the mobile web after all. Maybe the future of the mobile web will just be the future of the web.

There are a number of fascinating figures and observations from Grigsby's presentation (embedded below) about the state of the mobile web and the challenges ahead. It's definitely worth a look.

Use of hosted software as a service (SaaS) is growing like crazy, and most products are constantly evolving. What is the best strategy for a tech startup: share its product road map (i.e. its development plans) with the outside world, or keep its cards close to the chest?

Mike McDerment from FreshBooks argues very convincingly for keeping it to yourself:

1. Commitments weigh you down (if you promise something and change your mind later)
2. Keep your competition guessing
3. Purchasing decisions get delayed (as people wait for the next great version)
4. Don't set expectations too high
5. You can bank on surprise and delight

I feel strongly that sharing your product road map to gain (and actually use) feedback from your clients is the best product strategy for any rapidly evolving software company.

We have always been fans of the "Agile" development methodology, and when we embarked on developing Wild Apricot back in early 2006, there was no doubt in our mind how to go about it. Instead of trying to design and develop a "perfect" product (which would probably take a year or more), we created a list of "user stories" (product features) and prioritized them according to what we could do in 3 months.

Wild Apricot aims to simplify life for people in associations and non-profits. It replaces five separate pieces of software with one, saving thousands of dollars and countless hours of data re-entry and reconciliation. It automates trivial administration tasks and lets people focus on their cause and passion.

Our first beta release was launched on June 30th, 2006. Feedback started to trickle in right away, and as we started to count accounts in the dozens and then hundreds and then thousands, it really poured in (and keeps pouring!).

Our initial road map was around 80 entries. Our current list is over 400 items, and the cycle never ends:

• Release an update
• Review accumulated feedback from clients, and add or change items in the work queue
• Reprioritize the new list, and pick top items we can fit into our next update
• Several weeks of intensive development, then testing
• Rinse and repeat

(We currently issue product updates every 6 to 7 weeks on average.)

One curious fact is that half of the items on our original list have not been completed, while we have released a couple of hundred other items that our clients requested from us.

This is the ultimate reason behind this strategy: our own team is smart, but the accumulated wisdom of our clients makes our product development much smarter than it would be if we did it on our own.

Let me circle back to Mike McDerment's points:

Yes, that's why you have to be very careful about what commitments you make, and about sticking to them. We made our share of mistakes: promising that "This feature would be released in a few months," and having clients ridicule us for still not having released it after 18 months.

Here is the process we follow:

We maintain a special discussion forum (a wish list): any client can register and post their ideas, or comment and vote on ideas provided by others. Our support team encourages and directs all clients to join the conversation there.

Our product management team constantly monitors this forum and participates and guides the discussion. After each product release, we conduct a thorough review of the wish list. One frequently voiced criticism of using client feedback to guide your research and development is that all of those ideas are too tactical and are not innovative; the fax machine would never have been invented in this fashion, by just collecting feedback for the good old postal service. My answer is that this is where our team adds the most value. Our job is not simply to take one suggestion after another, but instead to look for patterns and commonality and then generate innovative ideas and features that address the feedback, even though it may be in a totally different way than envisioned by the original client.

As an outcome of that, we regularly update the road map discussion forum, which contains the top 60 items that we consider to be pretty well defined and ready to be queued for detailed analysis and development. We do not allow clients to create new entries in this forum, but they can freely comment and rank threads that we have created.

This list of items forms the core of our work queue, which is reviewed and prioritized for each release. Again, the priority assigned to each item is based mainly on its ranking and comments by clients; but here we also have to weigh those rankings and comments against architectural considerations and the long-term vision for the system.

And of course we have to work a number of "unsexy" items into each release to maintain system and data security, ensure reliability, improve system speed, and deal with bugs.

Finally, the feedback loop closes with our weekly product update posts on our blog.

To address the other points Mike brought up:

For us, the competitive edge is in the execution, not the initial ideas, which are a dime a dozen. Plus, of course, customer service, however lame it might sound: this old-fashioned concept still goes a long way towards winning (and losing) clients.

Because we have this regular rhythm of new releases, people sign up at a steady pace, and the next update is always around the corner anyway. And if somebody needs a particular feature we do not have yet, I would rather have them wait and get more experience down the road than waste too much time shouting "SIGN UP NOW! SPECIAL OFFER ENDS TODAY!"

I say, set them high and deliver on your promises.

But you lose out on anticipation (also see Andy's point #2 below).

Let me close by quoting Andy Sernovitz, author of Word of Mouth Marketing (a must-read book, by the way, for any technology marketer: lots of practical advice). He also thinks that product road maps should be shared and makes these points:

1. Users will be thrilled to know how the product is going to improve.
2. You turn frustration into anticipation.
3. Your fans have something to talk about (more word of mouth!).

To close, I do not think there is a single strategy that works for every company and every team. Freshbooks is a very successful company, and we are looking to them in many respects. Our crowd-sourcing strategy works well for us and is a good fit for our team and product. The journey continues. Check out our release history.

What is your experience with crowdsourcing? Any thoughts on product road maps for software companies?

If you're a non-profit organization wanting to use the Web more effectively, try out the Wild Apricot suite of products and support a RWW sponsor.

Wild Apricot is a young technology company out of Toronto, Canada. We provide Software-as-as-Service for associations, clubs, and non-profit organizations. This is our story of an investment round that fell through due to economic conditions.

Originally financed by our founders, the company wanted to grow faster and in December 2007 decided to seek additional financing from outside investors. Things progressed quickly, and by February 2008 we shook hands on a deal with a new investor: a very entrepreneurial investment company out of UK. Closing was planned for April 2008.

Of course, things never go as planned (and this is one of the lessons many startups learn the painful way). First, due diligence protracted much longer than expected. This was partially due to the fact that our Canadian-based company has a subsidiary office in Moscow, Russia, where the bulk of software development work takes place. The investor was keen to ensure that the intellectual property was properly protected, and it required changes to the legal setup of the Russian subsidiary, new employment contracts for all employees, and a bunch of other changes.

Then the MBAs and lawyers got their hands on the deal, and it quickly deteriorated from a relatively simple original term sheet to a thick stack of very complicated contracts.

This was to be the first Canadian deal for the investment company, and the deal stalled for a while as the investor's lawyers struggled to reconcile the terms sheet with their standard templates and the wording of UK contractual law with the Canadian legal system and its way of doing things. (That's another lesson for start-ups: making a deal outside of your home base frequently takes much more time and energy.)

The shareholder agreement, articles of association, board by-laws, and all the other fun documents multiplied in versions like rabbits.

Everybody got exhausted, and the deal almost derailed a few times and was only saved thanks to the open dialog between our company and the majority shareholder of the investment company.

Dmitry Buterin, the Chief Apricot (aka President of Wild Apricot), got the final documents on the morning of October 9th, 2008. He was visiting the Moscow office at the time and went to work having the documents signed and faxed between Moscow and Toronto.

Alas, it was not to be. At 4:00 pm, he got a call from the investor. "We are not going to close the deal after all. Our shareholders are panicking and withdrawing their money. We cannot do any new deals now." The financial crisis finally hit home.

After seven months of due diligence, many thousands of dollars spent on accountants and lawyers, and countless hours invested by the management team, Wild Apricot had to write it all off.

It was even more disappointing because our company was delivering on its promises. Back in January 2008, we provided a detailed financial projection, and at the last check-in with the investor team we were proud to show the September and year-to-date numbers were right on the projections.

As the saying goes, in every crisis there is opportunity. So, the Wild Apricot team went searching hard for those opportunities.

The story is still being written because the crisis is still unfolding, but here is what we have achieved so far:

1. We asked nicely, and the investor agreed to reimburse part of Wild Apricot's legal expenses, even though there was no legal obligation on the investor's part.
2. We contacted local media right away to capitalize on all of the hoopla about the crisis and ended up on Canada's CBC television.
3. The founders put together another round of their own money, and while they had to scale back some growth ambitions, we feel comfortable about riding out the current storm and bridging this and the next investment round. (we knew that any deal had a risk of falling through, so we had backup financing arranged in advance, and it came in very handy.)

Wal-Mart has been reporting record growth as of late and McDonalds is stealing market share from Starbucks. So we think Wild Apricot might do even better in these tough times. Non-profits are hurting and have to trim their budgets (just search Google News).

To tell you more about our software: the basic premise is that for a simple, flat monthly fee of $25 to $200, Wild Apricot replaces up to seven separate pieces of software: the content management system for your website, a members database, a secure private website for members and the board, an event registration system, online payments processing, software to send bulk emails and newsletters, and online community facilities, such as blogs and discussion forums. Technical support and updates are free.

For a small association or club, this set-up saves thousands of dollars in software, countless hours of volunteer time usually wasted on copying and pasting and reconciling the data between a dozen Excel files, and paying through the nose for IT services.

Wild Apricot delivers a custom-built website project that would cost the equivalent of $20,000 or more (not to mention hefty ongoing maintenance and support fees).

October 2008 has been our best month in terms of absolute financial growth (meaning our monthly revenue has increased by the biggest amount ever). Percentage-wise, our revenue grew by 11.3% in a single month! And November so far is shaping up to be an even better month for us.

We we are very confident in our ability to keep growing by staying agile on our feet!

And here is the silver lining:

The US dollar is shooting up against most other currencies. Wild Apricot software is priced in US dollars, while its expenditures are largely in Canadian dollars and Russian rubles. This adds a healthy boost to its bottom line.

What are your war stories? How are you navigating these waters, and what new opportunities are opening up for other technology startups?

If you're curious to know more about this 'gritty startup', please click through to Wild Apricot's website and support a RWW sponsor!

We've written a lot of times about developer platforms for the Web and we've reviewed a fair number of them. A web platform at its simplest is an API, allowing external developers to build on top of your web app or product. As we explained in our post APIs and Developer Platforms: A Discussion on the Pros and Cons, "offering an API is a great way to make developer friends and developing for a large Platform has the potential to bring your work to a huge audience."

1. Imeem Developer Platform: Music

Major social networking site Imeem launched a developer platform in March that will enable read/write access to user information and more. Imeem is a site where users can upload music, create and listen to any uploads and blog about music all for free. Imeem pays internet radio-style licensing fees for each time a copyrighted song is played.

The new platform is a Flex and ActionScript API that will let developers create customized music players, access activity data and build things like recommendation engines, smart playlists and music games.

Read more...

2. YouTube Platform: Online Video

The video uploading platform announced by YouTube in March may not have been what many pundits expected but it could mark a major turning point for both YouTube and thousands of other sites around the web.

By allowing website owners to combine an on-site video publishing option for their users with the huge number of people looking to discover new content on YouTube, the platform will create a mutually beneficial feedback loop that will breathe new life into both YouTube and the web at large. It's also got potential to show up all the other big platform plays we've seen to date.

Read more...

3. Fire Eagle: Yahoo's Location Platform

Earlier this month Yahoo announced that the closed beta period for its location platform Fire Eagle had ended and that the service was now open for everybody.. Since then, a number of high-profile services, including Brightkite, Movable Type, Dopplr, and Pownce have implemented Fire Eagle through the numerous APIs Yahoo provides for accessing the service.

As we wrote about Fire Eagle when the beta was first announced, it offers API kits in five different programming languages, it's got user authorization protocols already available for web, desktop and mobile apps and it's using the open standards community built oAuth to facilitate faster, more secure mashups. This ain't no cry-baby do it my way or I'm taking my ball and going home framework like the Facebook platform. This is leveraging universal open standards.

Note: also see our coverage of the Yahoo! Internet Location Platform, a collection of in-depth geo-location based APIs.

Read more...

4. Mozilla Weave: Web Platform for User Data

Mozilla recently announced Weave, a new web platform that will store users' browser metadata in a cloud environment for access anywhere. Weave is a "framework for services integration" that will, according to Mozilla, "focus on finding ways to enhance the Firefox user experience, increase user control over personal information, and provide new opportunities for developers to build innovative online experiences."

The basic idea is that browser metadata (things stored in your Firefox profile like bookmarks, history, RSS feeds, usernames and passwords, etc.) is pushed into the cloud and stored on Mozilla's servers. The data is available to users from wherever they get online and users can share information with friends, family, or third parties while retaining control over how, when, and if the info is shared.

Read more...

5. Live Mesh: Microsoft's Multi-device Platform

The new Live Mesh service launched in April as an invite only "technology preview". It is Microsoft's attempt to tie all of our data together. Live Mesh synchronizes data across multiple devices (currently just Windows computers, but theoretically it will extend to mobile and other devices in the future) as well as to a web desktop that exists in the cloud. It can sync data across devices used by a single users, as well as create shared spaces for multiple users. On the surface, Mesh is a lot like competing file sync services such as Dropbox, SugarSync (which we covered in January), and even Microsoft's own FolderShare product. But what sets Live Mesh apart is its platform approach.

Essentially, Live Mesh is a collection of feeds (which can be expressed as ATOM, JSON, FeedSync, RSS, WB-XML, or POX). Every piece of data entered into a user's Mesh -- be it a file, a folder, a message, a user permission, or a new device -- is rendered as a piece of information in a feed. The feeds are then synced with other devices that are part of that Mesh following rules for how to sync each particular piece of information (i.e., File A may sync with Users 1, 2, and 3, while File B may only be told to sync with Users 1 and 2).

Read more...

6. Hakia's Semantic API

Semantic search engine Hakia announced in June a set of APIs that opens up their natural language processing and search platform to developers. Hakia's Syndication Web Services really comes in two parts: search queries, which allow developers to add web search functionality leveraging Hakia's five billion page index, and XML feed calls, which give developers access to Hakia's underlying natural language processing technology. The latter of the two is clearly the more compelling of the offerings. [disclosure: hakia has been a RWW sponsor]

Read more...

7. Iceberg: Everyone Can Program

There was a time when only technically-savvy people knew how to create content and publish it to the internet, but the rise of easy-to-use blogging and CMS systems changed that. Today, everyone can be a publisher. Now, Iceberg wants to bring that same democratization to programming. In fact, that's their vision for Web 3.0 - the web where everyone is a programmer.

Build an App in 3 Minutes

In June Iceberg launched publicly. Although the focus is on business applications, like CRM or PM tools, you can interface with anything that offers up a web service. For enterprise environments, instead of using Iceberg as a service, I.T. departments can download and use Iceberg offline, behind the firewall, to work with their in-house servers, like Windows SQL server for example.

Read more...

8. Cascada Mobile: Anyone Can Build a Mobile App

In July Cascada Mobile launched a platform called Cascada Breeze, allowing anyone to take their idea from thought to app in about fifteen minutes. Well, maybe not anyone - the apps are built using HTML, so you would have to have some rudimentary web programming knowledge to use their platform. Still, you have to admit, that's a lot easier than using a professional development platform.

With Breeze, you can build, test, and distribute mobile J2ME apps that run on hundreds and handsets. And these are "real" apps, too - fully integrated mobile applications with their own icon, not just mobile widgets.

Read more...

9. Android: Google's Open Mobile Phone Platform

We said we wouldn't discuss iPhone, but we can't help mentioning Android - because of its potential to really open up the up-till-now closed mobile phone platform ecosystem. Earlier this week we reported that the HTC Dream, the first handset to run Android (aka "the Google Phone") has been approved by the FCC. In the documents provided, it appears that we have now a release date for this highly anticipated phone: November 10th, 2008.

Google has been encouraging developers to create applications for Android and rewarding them for doing so with cold, hard cash with the Android Developer Challenge. (See our previous coverage here). This has led to numerous third-party applications ready to flood the market when the phone goes to launch, regardless as to which developers win the big prizes (Pictured: Teradesk App). According to PCWorld, Google Developer Advocate Jason Chen told the Android breakout session at May's Google I/O event that developers won't need to get Android applications certified by anyone nor will there be any hidden APIs accessible only to handset makers or mobile operators. Even the phone's homescreen and widgets will be customizable - that's a much different take than the locked-down iPhone - and one that caters to users who like to make their phones their own.

Read more...

10. Meebo: Web Instant Messaging

Unlike most other platforms in the news these days, the Meebo Platform is a closed one. As at December more than 300 companies had registered to build applications but only 39 had been accepted into the program. Most are multiperson gaming apps, the rest video and voice chat apps. Companies chosen to participate in the Platform work closely with Meebo to assure high-quality integration of their applications, the company says.

The Meebo Platform is the third step in the vision for the company, after building a basic web IM service and then integrating that service into other sites through tools like MeeboMe and MeeboRooms.

Read more...

We hope you enjoyed this overview of 10 promising web developer platforms. For more about the theory and practice of platforms, check out Marshall Kirkpatrick's post So You're Launching a Platform: After Ubiquitous APIs - What's the Next Frontier?. A good companion piece is Picking a Platform: 5 Issues to Consider. Also read Alex Iskold's classic March '07 analysis When Web Sites Become Web Services.

Top image via ottonassar

Learning Iceberg is relatively easy - Byrne says "20 minutes and you can be a programmer" - I'd argue it's a bit more than that if you haven't ever been exposed to any programming concepts, but it's far from impossible. To get you started, there's a vast and well-documented training section available from Iceberg's web site, which includes free sample applications, step-by-step guides, screenshots, diagrams, videos, and more.

Build an App in 3 Minutes

As far as what you can build with Iceberg, it's really up to you. Although the focus is on business applications, like CRM or PM tools, you can interface with anything that offers up a web service. For enterprise environments, instead of using Iceberg as a service, I.T. departments can download and use Iceberg offline, behind the firewall, to work with their in-house servers, like Windows SQL server for example.

For companies making an investment in using Iceberg, the team will even go a step further than just providing the service, but will also work with the business to help them with the process of building and customizing their apps. Several of the companies out of the 2000 or so downloads Iceberg has had to date have had this type of assistance, including companies that have moved from Zoho's CRM to their own personalized version.

Today, Iceberg is revving up to a new version: Iceberg 2.1. In this latest iteration, there are new features like a getting started wizard that makes creating applications as simple as answering simple questions about their business needs. They've also added a bug tracker, a more flexible interface, and a new embed feature that lets you "mashup" snippets from any web site or widget right into your form or application.

Google Maps Mashed Up in Form

They've also introduced what they're calling their first "killer app," a project management application for any design/development agency. With this app, users can manage projects, get intelligent estimates based on history, interact with clients, view charts, and more. Unlike with Basecamp, for example, emails are built into the system, you can automatically track and refer to all the communication about the project with ease.

Email functionality in Iceberg's PM App

If you've already written off Iceberg as just another business/enterprise app and therefore not for you, then you're missing the bigger picture. Of course, Iceberg is offering tools for business - that's where the money is - but it's also offering tools for the everyman/novice programmer. Want to build the next great Twitter app?  You can use Iceberg for that...but you can also use it to build the next Twitter, too.

If you want to try Iceberg today, you can download it from this link here for a special deal. The download includes 5 licenses, but if you choose to tell your friends about Iceberg, then you can get access to 2 more free licenses, as will your friends.

PaaS?

You may have heard about SaaS (Software-as-a-Service), but what is PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service)? According to David Mitchell, Founder and CTO at Bungee, cloud-based services like storage-as-a-service, CRM-as-a-service, and computing-as-a-Service are just the beginning of software and computing in the cloud. In order to be a true platform, all the systems and environments comprising the end-to-end lifecycle of developing, testing, deploying, and hosting web applications must be present. And when all of those items are present in the cloud, you have a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS).

Bungee Connect

The Bungee Connect platform is Bungee Labs' implementation of this idea of cloud-based development. Unlike services that "dumb down" development so any user can build apps (think Yahoo Pipes, Popfly), Bungee Connect is meant for professional developers. The applications that Bungee Connect can be used to build are highly interactive, secure, and reliable desktop-like apps that can use multiple web services and databases in a single, on-demand environment.

Bungee Connect Builder Screenshot

Bungee apps can be embedded in other web applications and pages, SaaS solutions, or delivered as stand-alone web destinations. IT Managers can even securely web-enable their in-house apps on existing servers. An IT Manager who uses Bungee to bring an in-house web app to their mobile users only needs http/https enabled in their firewall, nothing more, and the only connection is to the Bungee Grid itself, not each and every end user.

Why Use Bungee's PaaS?

Since Bungee Connect is an end-to-end service, applications aren't built in one environment and deployed in another. Instead developing, debugging, testing, and deploying all occurs within the same environment, making application development faster...much faster.

WideLens

Bungee claims that their service can reduce time-to-market by as much as 80%. As a test, they developed a reference application called WideLens, an online calendaring app that connects to Microsoft Exchange calendar, Google Calendar, Salesforce.com, Facebook, MySQL and iCalendar feeds. This app represents several different types of protocols and authentication schemes including WebDav, gData, SOAP, REST, and MySQL. WideLens connects to each source in real-time and presents users with live data. And while the app itself sounds incredibly useful, what's even more incredible about it is the time it took to build:

• 3 hours to integrate Salesforce
• 1 day to integrate facebook
• 13 weeks total development time, start-to-finish

WideLens Calendar Screenshot

Bungee Connect and all applications built with it can be accessed through Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari web browsers. They do not require any software download, installation, or plug-in.

Pricing

The service Bungee offers is free to use for development, collaboration, and test deployment. Developers only need pay when an app is used by others. Depending on usage, a cost of $2-5 per user per month is expected for heavily utilized business applications and only fractions of a cent for e-commerce transactions. During the public beta, all apps will be hosted for free.

Conclusion

Bungee's extensive feature list, which includes a single, on-demand environment, automated integration of web services, built-in team collaboration & testing, built-in scalability, reliability, and security, and a utility pricing model, make Bungee Connect a robust and ambitious new offering in cloud computing and development.

The only question that remains is whether developers trust the cloud enough to make a switch from their current set of trusted tools to a web-based platform.

So you're interested in a career in web development. You already know a thing or two about HTML and CSS. Maybe you've created a few static websites. You're interested in learning more, but there are so many different directions you could take. What's the next step to really get your web development career off the ground?

If this sounds like you, or if you're just interested in improving your existing job prospects, here are 10 web development skills that you can learn to boost your marketability. They apply both to corporate environments and web startups. Update: a note that these skills are listed in alphabetical order.

ASP & VBScript

What are they? ASP is a server-side script processor developed by Microsoft. VBScript is the programming language most often used to power it.

Why are they important? When it comes to server-side programming, ASP enjoys popularity comparable to PHP due to Microsoft's heavy market share. VBScript, in addition to its use with ASP, can also be used client-side in much the same way as JavaScript, although support for this is spotty outside of Internet Explorer. Additionally, VBScript can be used to create desktop applications for Windows. Because of these varied uses on Microsoft products, VBScript is very handy for developers who work in Microsoft-centric environments and large corporations.

Where can I learn more?

• ASP Resource Index
• ASP Wikipedia Article
• VBScript Wikipedia Article
• W3Schools ASP Tutorial
• W3Schools VBScript Tutorial
   

C# or VB.Net

What are they? C# and VB.Net are general-purpose programming languages. Both were developed by Microsoft as part of its .Net initiative.

Why are they important? As part of the .Net framework, C# and VB.Net are often used for code-intensive projects that simpler runtime languages aren't well-equipped to handle. In usage and syntax, C# is very similar to Java, whereas VB.Net strongly resembles Visual Basic. Learning either is a good path to heavy back-end development and software houses that focus on web development.

• C# Links and Resources
• C# Tutorial
• C# Wikipedia Article
• VB.Net Resources
• VB.Net Wikipedia Article
   

Flash & ActionScript

What are they? Adobe Flash is a development environment that allows you to create dynamic visual presentations for the web. ActionScript is a scripting language used to add interactivity to those presentations.

Why are they important? With the ability to make truly beautiful web applications that are deeply and uniquely interactive, Flash enjoys heavy market demand. Nowadays, entire websites are built as stand-alone Flash applications, while other websites make use of simpler Flash animations to add the same cutting-edge feel to an otherwise static page. Knowing Flash is enough to build the latter, but you'll need to pick up some ActionScript to accomplish the former. Especially when combined with other design skills ( i.e., CSS, PhotoShop, etc.), knowing Flash and ActionScript is a great way to find work in the front-end development arena and on design studios.

Where can I learn more?

• ActionScript Wikipedia Article
• Adobe's ActionScript Tutorial
• Adobe Flash Wikipedia Article
• Flash and ActionScript Resources
• FlashVista Flash Resources
• W3Schools Flash Tutorial
   

Java

What is it? Java is a widely portable programming language that can be used for both client-side and server-side web applications.

Why is it important? Unlike more specialized languages, Java is versatile enough to be used in many different development contexts. For example, Java applets allow a programmer to create client-side applications, while Java Server Pages (JSP) produce dynamic, server-side content in much the same way as PHP or ASP. Because you can take it with you into different environments, learning Java is particularly worthwhile if you anticipate changing to another programming career in the future.

Where can I learn more?

• Java Programming Resources
• Java Wikipedia Article
• Java.sun.com
• Sun's Java Tutorial
   

JavaScript & AJAX

What is it? JavaScript is a popular client-side scripting language. AJAX is a web development technique that combines Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. It became popular in 2005 thanks to Google's support.

Why is it important? Between JavaScript, JScript, VBScript, and the like, JavaScript is arguably the most popular. It enjoys wide browser support and is integral to prevailing web methodologies like DHTML and AJAX. Along with HTML and CSS, it is considered a standard of web development that few professionals in the industry can do without. AJAX, on the other hand, enables web developers to create better, faster and more interactive web pages and applications. Basically it makes possible for the Javascript to communicate directly with the server, so specific data can be exchanged without reloading the page.

Where can I learn more?

• JavaScript Kit
• JavaScript Wikipedia Article
• W3Schools JavaScript Tutorial
• AJAX Wikipedia Article
• W3Schools AJAX Tutorial
• AJAX Articles
• AJAX Demonstrations
   

Perl

What is it? Perl is a general programming language that is often used for CGI applications and server-based scripting. It is used by Google on many applications, which makes it very marketable.

Why is it important? Perl can be described as the Swiss army knife of web programming languages; with the right modules, it can do pretty much anything. Although not strictly built for web development, it is a favorite for server scripting tasks and can be used to pass information to and from external applications. Mastering Perl is especially useful for those looking to get into server administration.

Where can I learn more?

• Perl Resources
• Perl Tutorial
• Perl Wikipedia Article
   

PHP

What is it? PHP is a popular server-side programming language. Considering it is an open source language, many web startups use as a backbone for applications and server-side scripting.

Why is it important? PHP is one of the most popular and widely-used server-side programming languages. It forms the backbone for popular web frameworks like WordPress, PHPbb, osCommerce, and MediaWiki and has a large community of open source developers behind it. PHP is an excellent path to general web development work, particularly in Linux and other non-Windows server environments.

Where can I learn more?

• Official PHP Website
• PHP Resource Index
• PHP Wikipedia Article
• Simple PHP Tutorial
   

Python

What is it? Python is a high-level general programming language.

Why is it important? Python is often praised for its simplicity. It is described as easy to learn, easy to read, and easy to implement, making it ideal for rapid web development. Mastering it is a good way to find work in a web design studio or indie web development.

Where can I learn more?

• Official Python Website
• Python Resources
• Python Tutorial
• Python Wikipedia Article
   

Ruby & Ruby on Rails

What is it? Ruby is an open source programming language. Ruby on Rails is a web development framework that utilizes Ruby.

Why is it important? Although Ruby doesn't enjoy as much widespread popularity as some other programming languages, it forms the backbone for Ruby on Rails, a web development framework that has gained momentum in recent years. This combination is particularly well-known for rapid, intuitive web programming in much the same way as Python, and is often used for the same sort of projects.

Where can I learn more?

• Official Ruby on Rails Website
• Official Ruby Website
• Ruby on Rails Resources
• Ruby on Rails Tutorial
• Ruby on Rails Wikipedia Article
• Ruby Programming Resources
• Ruby Tutorial
• Ruby Wikipedia Article
   

Structured Query Language (SQL)

What is it? SQL is a language used to interact with relational databases.

Why is it important? Most dynamic websites make at least some use of databases, and many do so extensively. Although it's not technically a programming language, SQL is nonetheless vital to any serious web programmer's skill set. Popular database management systems that use SQL include MySQL and MSSQL.

Where can I learn more?

• SQL Wikipedia Article
• W3Schools SQL Tutorial
• SQL-Tutorial.net