Advantages of Web-based Application Servers

Advantages of Web-based Application Servers

An application server is a dedicated server that runs a central application or numerous applications, allowing clients to connect through an intranet or over the Internet. In traditional application server models, the software of the server and client was usually the same or similar, and the client machine required a smaller client application to be installed. If the client machine did not have a client application, it would usually connect to a terminal server that would give the client direct access to the central application’s operating system.
With the advent of the web, some software vendors created websites, often for intranet use only, and ran the application servers as web servers. With more businesses reaching global customers and often having employees in various physical locations, many of these applications now operate over the Internet in much the same way that a cloud service would provide access to their applications.
The advantage of this type of “private cloud” is that your users can connect to their applications from anywhere in the world. They can also use any type of computer, laptop, tablet, or even mobile device that has a fully functioning web browser. Furthermore, with this type of central web application, you do not have to push upgrades out over a network or maintain user machines. Finally, because your web application is maintained internally, you have full control over it, which is a decisive advantage over a public cloud offering, if you have the technical wherewithal to maintain it.