Hi,

We have a desktop application written in MS Access (front end) and SQL Server 2000 back end. I am currently putting forward a business case for rewriting the front end as a .NET web application. The user base for the existing application is 500+.

There are obvious technical benefits in using .NET (such as having a proper OO language). Could somebody assist me in coming up with other benefits?

Thanks,

Kabir

Friend, Web and Windows applications are fundamentally different and neither are better than the other, rather they would be suited/geared towards certain scenarios.

The basic design on a web application is that the application sits on a web server, and all users will access it via a web browser over the internet/HTTP. What this means is that configuration and deployment is limited only to the web server, so management is much easier. Being a web based application, it can reach many users who have access to the web and a compatible web browser, there fore the reach of the application is wide and is mobile. Some disadvantages are bandwidth and richness of the application.

Windows applications on the other hand are installed on the users machine. This will mean the application is much richer and more responsive than a web application having much more higher performance. However maintenance would be much harder with patching and rollout/installations. etc CLient PC's may also require some sort of initial configuration to get things working so configuration management can be a nightmare as well.

So pretty much, the advantages or web based applications are mobility, ease of access, distribution, configuration management and maintenance. Where it lacks is richness, performance compared to winforms application. 

http://apposite.co.nz/apposite/index2.php?option=content&do_pdf=1&id=5

http://metrix.fcny.org/wiki/download/attachments/7328/Web-based+Apps+vs+Client-Server+Software.pdf?version=1

See:

http://forums.asp.net/t/1257645.aspx

http://ezinearticles.com/?What-is-ASP.NET?-Top-12-Advantages-of-ASP.NET&id=1358877

http://www.pssuk.com/advantageswebapplications.htm

First, I'd separate the benefits of going toward .NET and the ones from going toward a web application. (You may find that .NET suits your need, but web apps do not. You may also find that web apps fits your need, while .NET does not, though thats less likely).

.NET has a lot of options beyond asp.net: for example, if all your clients are Windows based, you may find that a XBAP/WPF application suits your need more... most of the power and rich client capabilities of a desktop application, with the deployement benefits, scalability and security context of a web application. Its great.

You said the beenfits of .NET were obvious, so I'll skip that.

For ASP.NET, over other alternatives, it is mainly a rich set of ressources (there's a lot of reference for web development, and getting external help, or new developers in your team is easy, third support components are very common, documentation is great, etc), it is very flexible (you can do most anything with HTML/Javascript/CSS), and it is cross platform (if someday you want to move to Macs or Unix after a big Microsoft screwup, you can change all of the clients, and you only need to worrie about the server, which is usually no big deal).

Browser based application deployement (which is not limited to asp.net: XBAP, Silverlight and ClickOnce all offer this to various degrees) has major scalability and ease of maintenance benefits, and for a user bsae of 500, its probably a large cost saving scenario. This is definately your big points if you're migrating from access.

If you have a userbase of 500, migrating to SQL Server 2005, or even better, 2008 is also a business case in itself: Snapshot locking mode alone can boost performance of your application up the wazoo, and with SQL Server 2008 you get a lot of development tool enhancement, saving money on the IT side of thing.

 The other benefit is the deployment when you have a Desktop application unless you are using ClickOnce you need to be updating all the machines where is installed the application, with a Web Application you does the deployment just in one place and automatically the users can have the updated version.

Other is using the resources from the server that maybe in some clients for desktop doesn't have completly the requirements to run the desktop application and normally a server for web has all the necessary to have multiple users.

 Other I think that is easier to customize the view of the application with ASP.NET due the use of skins and  CSS.

 I could think some other more but I would keep the space to other colleagues to comment them.

I found this information very interesting.!!

http://metrix.fcny.org/wiki/download/attachments/7328/Web-based+Apps+vs+Client-Server+Software.pdf?version=1

http://www.functionrich.com/web-application-benefits.htm

Thanks all - this is very useful.

 A couple of other points:

a) I don't see much difference in the default controls available in .NET as opposed to MS Access. e.g. both have text boxes, grid controls, drop donw lists etc.... As such what additional functionality do .Net controls provide?

b) Is it true that when the number of concurrent users of a desktop application increases (in particular MS Access) the performace of the application decreases. Is this also true for web apps?

Thanks,

Kabir

KabirPatel:

a) I don't see much difference in the default controls available in .NET as opposed to MS Access. e.g. both have text boxes, grid controls, drop donw lists etc.... As such what additional functionality do .Net controls provide?

There are few new Controls provided by .NET as opposed to Access.. see below

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306459

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa719973(VS.71).aspx

KabirPatel:

b) Is it true that when the number of concurrent users of a desktop application increases (in particular MS Access) the performace of the application decreases. Is this also true for web apps?

Yes

KabirPatel:

Thanks all - this is very useful.

 A couple of other points:

a) I don't see much difference in the default controls available in .NET as opposed to MS Access. e.g. both have text boxes, grid controls, drop donw lists etc.... As such what additional functionality do .Net controls provide?

b) Is it true that when the number of concurrent users of a desktop application increases (in particular MS Access) the performace of the application decreases. Is this also true for web apps?

Thanks,

Kabir

a) I don't see much difference in the default controls available in .NET as opposed to MS Access. e.g. both have text boxes, grid controls, drop donw lists etc.... As such what additional functionality do .Net controls provide?

check this link here http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306459

b) Is it true that when the number of concurrent users of a desktop application increases (in particular MS Access) the performace of the application decreases. Is this also true for web apps?

yes is true the performance of the application decrease....

Many benefits one you already counted

1. OO

2.Accessible through web and desktop application through web services

3.Extensive .net library to assist

4.Quick portability

6.Better GUI control and Ajax advantage

7.Standarized and scalable.

8.Heavy duty application