What's the difference between web-enabled and web-hosted products?

We all know that getting to the truth sometimes requires a little digging through marketing hype, hyperbole, and perhaps a bit of deception. I’m sure we’re all stunned to find that some are disputing the marketing claim that Cocoa Krispies cereal will help to boost a child’s immunity to illness.

In the Internet domain there is no shortage of products which claim to have some form of “webification.” With the explosive growth of internet technologies, companies are scrambling to ensure that their solutions are perceived as being compatible with the Web. Coupling that with all of the media attention on “cloud computing” and Software as a Service (SaaS) there is growing confusion on the differences between Web-enabled and Web-hosted systems.

Here are the main characteristics of Web-enabled and Web-hosted systems;

Web-hosted Products:
Web-hosted products are centrally operated at a data center and shared amongst thousands of different companies. This is called a multi-tenant SaaS application, and it’s the reason that they are very robust and cost-effective. The entire application is accessible from a browser and can generally be used on any computer or mobile device. Web-hosted solutions are also self-provisioned, scalable on demand, and typically purchased on a “pay as you go” basis. It should not be necessary for you to purchase any application software to operate a Web-hosted product.

Web-enabled Systems:
Web-enabled systems are often mistaken for Web-hosted systems because they both use a browser for their user interface. That’s generally where the similarities end.

Web-enabled systems fall into two basic categories, 1) native Web and 
2) after-market Web. Native Web systems are designed from the ground up to operate over the Internet using an on-board Ethernet connection and providing Administrative access to the application via a standard Web browser. Aftermarket Web-enabled products are typically client/server applications accompanied by hardware that does not communicate natively over Ethernet. It’s fairly easy to spot these products since they will have to be paired with external Web servers to “webify” the application and terminal servers to add Ethernet connectivity to the devices. If a product cannot stand on its own without the auxiliary devices, then it is an aftermarket Web-enabled solution.

Aftermarket Web products tend to suffer from some large deficiencies as compared to native web products. The first obvious problem is that other devices are required to make the solution work over the web. This increases their complexity and cost while decreasing the chances that the overall solution will migrate well as web technologies evolve. Another obvious problem is that information security gaps can appear between the original product and its bolt-on components. Both of these issues should raise serious concerns if you are evaluating an after-market web solution.

What’s a Buyer To DO?:
It is sometimes difficult to sort through the “webified” marketing descriptions associated with products. However, a little close examination and some pointed questions will help you get to the information you need to make the best decision.

-John Szczygiel