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 A friend of mine in the Accounting Software business asked me to explain the difference between Web Apps and Cloud Apps. In particular is the GoPC.net/ TurboCASH actually a world first?
Web Apps are based on a central server and typically use web environments like PHP, ASP and Ajax to give you browser access to the software. Even those apps written in Flash still have that sticky feeling of slow response. This is typical of Online Banking or Airline booking.
The use of the Web apps is only for the public. It makes no sense to
me to make the internal accounting app a web app, because you lose the richness of
the interfaces that we have worked on for 20 years to perfect. You also
bind yourself to the nightmare of having your data stored remotely on
someone else's server.
What I understand by a cloud app is Grid Computing. So we have a farm on
the web (GoPC.net ) This is a matrix of over 100 Linux Servers. The magic is virtualisation whereby 10 000 people can simultaneously share
the Grid. Now the TurboCASH that runs on the Cloud is not a web app
it is the actual TurboCASH that anyone runs, the stock standard product
that you can download for free and run on your local desktop. Because
it is Open Source we don't care how many times you run it or how many
people use it. This is then married with some remote client software
that allows anyone to link in. Think of it as VNC or Terminal server on
Steroids, with local printing and local back ups. The Key difference is
that the machine that runs is it not on somone else' server, it may be
virtual, but it is my PC, my data and I can back it up and use it
myself locally whenever I want to - no lock in.
Then add to this a completely portable App, one that can run simply off a Flash Drive (See TurboCASH Portable). Now hybid systems make this Cloud/Desktop Offering seem like Science Fiction.
Now in case the Networks breaks, what you have is an XML messaging
system that stores remote transactions and database changes, so if for
some reason you get disconnected, the remote site can still run (Off
only a Flash Drive if required) and synch back with the main database
later. This is kind of like Google Gears, but we carry it all
ourselves. It has a zero footprint. When you lift the Flash drive out
of the host machine all trace of the system has gone. You can take the
system back home work on it - add transactions and synch back at
anytime you like. In the meantime your server can continue to receive
data from a pure web app like OS Commerce or Virtuemart. If you get the
old "But my Auditor uses BlahBlahBooks Story", just give them a copy on a
Flashdrive - data - program and all, she can run it straight off the
Flash drive without even installing the software.
TurboCASH needs
instant deployment accross multiple markets. One of our key advantages is that we regularly
deliver 10 000 copies of the software within 24 hours of
release. Rapid releases and feed back is our only key marketing
advantage. The TurboCASH community is a network of small businesses operating on over 80 markets.
If we did it any other way, next thing we would be arguing about corner
offices and covered parking.
Using the Cloud App, there is no difference from what we are used to,
because it is simply that - exactly what we are used to - it is all one
program, delivered for 25 languages, 80 tax systems, Apple, Windows,
Linux, Destop or Cloud, all made in one compile. See what it looks like .
This all runs on Open Source components so anyone can set up a
TurboCASH cloud farm if they want to. The only problem they would have,
is that as we offer it free, so not sure how they would compete, they
may
as well our offering, paying only for the hosting.
The GoPC.net / TurboCASH Alliance is the first offer of this kind. To my knowlege no other Accounting Vendors make a similar Cloud offering.
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