The recent failure of Amazon web services showed to the world how reliant we are on cloud based applications. Some major web applications went down and most people found their daily activity severely hampered. The reliance on cloud applications are rising daily and desktop software is becoming more and more obsolete. Why is desktop software becoming thing of the past? Below are some key reasons why cloud applications are preferred to desktop alternative.
Anywhere Access
The biggest reason web based applications are chosen over desktop software is the ease of access. Because the applications is online a user can access it from anywhere in the world as long as he can connect to the internet. In this fast moving world where people are constantly on the move, work from home or from multiple offices this anywhere access feature is priceless. In comparison desktop software are limited by their licensing restrictions like one install per machine etc.
One area where desktop applications still had an advantage was when it comes to offline usage. Sometimes it is hard to connect to the Internet for various reasons. But with the introduction of HTML5 some cloud based applications are providing offline access as well, making desktop software even more redundant.
Platform Independence
Web applications don’t care whether you’re using Apple, Windows, Linux or any other operation system. As long as you have a freely downloadable modern web browser you can access them without a problem. So you can have a Mac at home and a Windows PC at office but still access and work on your application without a problem.
The platform independence is even more critical when you are working with a group of people running different operating systems. No need to find compatible software and import and export data, everyone can just access it via the Internet and get on with the work.
Low Cost
Relatively low cost is another reason why individuals and companies are moving towards cloud applications. Because of low maintenance, no shipping costs, storage costs etc. web applications can offer their products at a far lower price. Also some web application offer monthly payment options so users can pay as they go. This is much easier on the wallet for users and also gives them a chance to analyze a service before they make a major investment like buying team plans etc.
Less Hassle
You can start using cloud applications almost immediately. You don’t have to worry about downloading software, buying software, updating software, checking for compatibility with your operation system, installation problems, storage issues etc. Create an account in their websites and you can start using the application instantly.
Mentioned above are some major advantages of using cloud based applications. It is really hard to argue for the future of desktop software when cloud applications offer so much more. Did I miss any major advantage? Do you think desktop software has a future? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section.
About Author: Nishadha Silva is a tech evangelist working for Creately diagram software; a cloud based diagramming application that is emerging as an alternative to desktop software like Microsoft Visio. It’s cheaper and has a low learning curve and definitely something you should try for drawing diagrams like flowcharts, UML and network diagrams.
