Clientless Software Detailed at Demo Conference

SAN MATEO (02/10/2000) - IF WHAT happened to the market for browsers is any indication, shrink-wrapped applications, even in the $100 and under range, may find it hard to compete with a new business model that offers free access to software on the Internet without ever having to install it on a device.

Word processing, spreadsheets, presentation graphics, Web site creation, and SFA (sales-force automation) software were all launched this week at the Demo 2000 conference in Indian Wells, Calif.

Software bloat got a major kick in the shins when TrellixWeb announced a deal with Lycos to distribute its online, clientless Web site building software dubbed Trellix Web Express. Lycos's Tripod Community building service will give Trellix access to over 30,000,000 million users.

Trellix was founded by CTO Daniel Bricklin, who is credited with inventing the spreadsheet, the first killer app for personal computers. As Trellix Web Express is offered on countless community sites, it may become the next killer app for weightless programs that are stored on the service providers network, giving users access to their data anywhere, anytime, from any device over the Internet.

Salesforce.com, a San Francisco-based company that markets SFA software to enterprise-sized companies, is moving beyond the application service provider model. Users can access, enter data, share accounts, and generate reports via any Web connection.

Salesforce.com charges a monthly fee of $50 for the first five users and $50 for each additional user.

ThinkFree.com, based in Mountain View, Calif., "is all about freedom," according to its company motto. The company is offering a Microsoft Office-compatible package that includes word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, address book, e-mail, and file manager.

The ThinkFree solution gives users 20MB of storage for access anytime in a Web-based ThinkSafe cyberfolder, which is password protected. The company will charge for storage above 20MB.

Presenter, from iAmaze, is a Web-based online slide show creation application and only the first program in a suite of packages the company is promising to ship. Files created on the Web are compatible with desktop software, according to a company spokesperson, and stored on iAmaze's network.

In San Francisco, iAmaze Inc. can be reached at http://www.iamaze.com.

Salesforce.com Inc., in San Francisco is at http://www.salesforce.com.

ThinkFree.com Corp., in Mountain View, Calif., is at http://www.thinkfree.com.

TrellixWeb Corp., in Waltham, Mass., can be reached at http://www.trellix.com.

InfoWorld Editor at Large Ephraim Schwartz is based in San Francisco.

Join the newsletter!

Or

Sign up to gain exclusive access to email subscriptions, event invitations, competitions, giveaways, and much more.

Membership is free, and your security and privacy remain protected. View our privacy policy before signing up.

Error: Please check your email address.

More about iAmazeLycosMicrosoftSalesforce.comThinkFreeTrellixWeb

Show Comments
[]