UI

(promoted by new UI frameworks being released)
[WIP]

It is far from clear what the architecture is for creating user interfaces. At present it does not seem a foregone conclusion that closed architecture advocated by Microsoft (i.e. built on proprietary client products and standards) will prevail. Some of the technologies include:

• Adobe - Adobe's Pacifica is a service that will allow developers to integrate voice, messaging and presence information into applications built using Adobe Flex, AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime) or Flash technologies. Flex is Adobe's environment for building RIAs (Rich Internet Apps) and AIR allows those applications to be moved to the desktop. CoCoMo is associated with the next version of Adobe's Connect Web conferencing service and enables parts of Connect's functionality to be integrated into other applications. With Adobe's Web technologies and hosted services, it is not necessary to install new client or server software to collaborate. Business Objects Xcelsius Connector to Adobe LiveCycle Data Services (for data-remoting, messaging, data-management) will allow Xcelius to be used for the visual transformation of analytic data from back-end systems and the graphics to be integrated on RIAs. Adobe and BO also aim to integrate the Flex development environment and Xcelsius to make it easier to create more visually interesting business-intelligence applications
  

• AJAX - A common AJAX platfom is anticipated over mobile and desktop access providing a universal content and application platform. Critical areas to address include: JavaScript access to device APIs (a bridge to J2ME is possible), offline and disconnected operation, widgets, mashups, and security. Steps in the right will be: Apple, Nokia and Motorolla shipping WebKit/Mozilla browsers on their mobile phones.
• XFORMS -
  
• Lotus Forms - Web Form Server is an RIA platform that provides the capabilities of Lotus Forms directly to browsers (without the need to install rich client software). On demand page loading improves performance (e.g. it avoids loading data structures for pages not visited by the end-user) and page-level validity checking on page-change operations ensure users can't progress through a wizard experience unless the validity criteria for a page are met. Several new Xforms 1.1. features now supported.
• Microsoft - MS would like MS Office/Outlook to key elements the UI framework. Unfortunately this locks users into a proprietary client architecture.