A Rich Internet Application (RIA) is designed to provide a user experience similar to how you use a program on your computer: seamless, integrated, and asynchronous. It can reside in a website and/or through a desktop application that connects to the web.
The noteworthy technologies enabling all this include: AJAX, Flex, Flash, Javascript, APIs, Ruby, AIR and Rails. For a few good video primers, you can watch Matt Dickman of Techno/Marketer explain AJAX and APIs.
Adobe is leading the charge in creating the frameworks for developers to create RIAs. Flash is the well-known browser plugin that’s allowed us to experience some very interactive websites for a while now. About 6 years ago, they included features for working with webcams, microphones, and storing local data. A few years later came Flex, a platform for creating RIAs based on Flash technology. Earlier this year, Adobe released Apollo, a cross operating system runtime environment for RIAs on the desktop. It’s been renamed AIR, and is currently in beta until its official launch in Spring of 2008.
I am a big fan of RIAs and the AIR platform because they allow the user experience to be more personal. Lightweight applications can be run independently of what operating system you’re using, can exchange data and multimedia with online services, and can be run offline as well.
| Visit the Adobe AIR showcase, and the Flex.org showcase to a big look at how some organizations are creating some very nifty applications. | |
| Here are some online examples of various applications: | |
| Photo editing - Picnik, Splashup, Photoshop Express, Fotoflexer | |
| Video editing - Premiere Express, Jumpcut | |
| Audio mixing - Digimix | |
| Multimedia - Eyespot, Scrapblog, FilmLoop, Animoto | |
| Presentations - SlideRocket, Empressr, Vcasmo | |
| Video Messaging - Eyejot, Seesmic, Tokbox | |
| Telephony - Ribbit, TringMe, Pacifica | |
| Web Conferencing - Brio | |
| Office Software - Buzzword, LiveDocuments, Blist | |
| Diagrams - Lovely Diagrams, Gliffy | |
Remember, remarkable products and services and built with the user in mind. Tech is the just the engineering. Excellent design and a strong market orientation are critical to the success of any product that people will adore and tell their friends about 
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Stopped by to wish you blessings of peace and happiness, my friend, and a prosperous New Year.
Hey, thanks for the blist mention - much appreciated!
Matt, I look forward to trying Blist out. Keep up the excellent work! The age of new slimmed-down software accessible and affordable to the masses is coming. This is true innovation.
I am happy that companies like yours are contributing to this movement, not as a challenge to MS, but as an option for people to use and enjoy without having to resort to the world of piracy.
Thanks Lewis, you’ll be hearing from me soon.
Thanks for the mention of Gliffy — we appreciate the link. Keep us posted with what you’d like to see next from Gliffy — we are always looking for suggestions,
Thanks again,
Debi K