We have just finished development and configuration of a prototype application using an interesting new technology that is built into the Microsoft® .Net Framework: Smart Client Windows Forms Applications with NoTouch Deployment over the internet! We used our ZipService Web Service as the back-end for a VB.Net desktop application that calls it. There are separate screens for each of the three functions available from the web service. This .Net application is sitting on our web server ready for you to see this technology in action for yourself.
Imagine no more messy installations across your network with the eventual DLL hell when Application 1 requires version 1 of a DLL and Application 2 requires version 2! However, there is a catch (well actually, two). You must have the .Net Framework version 1.0 or above installed (available here), and you will have to add us (http://www.microapplications.com/) to your Trusted Sites in Internet Explorer Tools, Options, Security, Trusted Sites, and decrease the security level for Trusted Sites. At a minimum, you should set prompting for the running of .Net Framework components that are not signed with Authenticode and enable the running of those with Authenticode signing. You can always remove these settings after you've tried our prototype. There is a 6-page whitepaper that walks you through the configuration required on your computer here. You can then either access the prototype from a link on our corporate page, or simply click here.
We are also using a similar application of this technology for self-service Client Tech Support Task Management via an automatically updating .Net Desktop client application called TaskVision. The TaskVision client communicates with our TaskVision project database via secure Web Services. The .Net client application logs the client into our Web Services with a username and password issued by Microapplications, Inc. and receives a ticket that is used thereafter in communicating with the TaskVision Web Services. Both sides of the interaction are very thin, compared to older client-server application architectures. Call us for details at (407) 647-6997.
Bob Baker