These days websites are behaving more like traditional applications and applications are embracing internet technology, so the line between the two has become blurred especially from the user's perspective.

A website is really a specialised type of application where most processing happens on the server and is accessed over a public network by a dumb terminal or "thin client" (no offence to your PC). The traditional application typically operates on a private network with far more processing occuring at the client rather than the server "fat client" (once again, no offence to your PC).

Ironically the old main-frame computers operated very much like the internet does today, and the latest AJAX website applications are shifting processing back to the client side so it's back to the future and forward to the past.

Whether you have a website or an application, both of them need a database to deliver any serious functionality. Seriti software specialises in the outstanding MySQL open source database. which we use for websites and application development. This means that you have the best of both worlds...oh and it's free... your website can deliver content and functionality to people all over the world, while your applications can perform complex or private tasks on your local network while still accessing the same database.

There are still some tasks best performed by a local PC or network(LAN) application..

• Printing in general
• Integration with MSwindows applications
• Image manipulation
• Word processing and spread sheets (not for long!)
• Where processing speed is vital
• Where no distributed access required or privacy is vital