This Article is a part of Application and Web Security Guide
Table of Contents
Definition Web Application
A web application is an application or computer tool accessible from any browser, either through the internet (the usual) or through a local network. Through the browser, you can access all the functionality and have all the solutions.
Many modern web applications are delivered as subscription-based services, making them an important part of the SaaS business model. Instead of installing software locally, users can access the service through a browser while the provider manages the underlying infrastructure and updates.
In any type of entity (company, association, business, self-employed, institution), you need a computer solution tailored to your needs.
Web applications can face a wide range of security risks, including vulnerabilities in application code, authentication, APIs, third-party components, and server-side infrastructure. Protecting these applications therefore requires a broader security approach that covers development, testing, deployment, and ongoing monitoring. For a deeper look at these practices, see our Application and Web Security Guide.
This article is part of our Saas, Web and Mobile Applications resource section.
What kind of computer programs is available?
The range is so extensive that it is difficult to specify in a text the infinite possibilities that exist. Here are some examples
- Applications for the internal and complete management of the entity (billing, stock, customers, users, partners, accounting, signing, personnel management)
- Diverse work tools for entities (intranets, document management, networking, shared tools accessible by multiple users, differentiated access)
- Services to users (incident management, access to content differentiated by permits, space management)
- Digital communication tools (mailings, digital bulletins, personalized communications to clients or users).
Quality Control tools of the company
Web tools (personalized virtual stores, complex websites with many elements and accesses, repositories and search engines, online sales management)
Other types of services (any type of application you can think of such as property management, homeowners’ communities, tourism, maps, training, schools, shops and many others that are about to be created).
Advantages of Web Application
- The first great advantage is that it does not need any type of installation since accesses through a browser.
- A web application is cross-platform and multi-device, we can forget what software each device accesses and that a computer, a tablet, a smartphone can also access.
- This cross-platform capability is one reason businesses often compare browser-based experiences with dedicated mobile applications. Understanding the differences between progressive web apps and native apps can help determine which approach is better suited to a particular application’s users and functionality.
- Another advantage is that the power is not in the device that accesses it; without a supercomputer, the application can be powerful. Since the weight is not supported by the equipment from which it gets accessed but by the server. The application can be in the cloud, making it accessible to any computer with internet access (although it could also be a local application on an intranet)
- And finally, it is very adaptable, visually intuitive, and very easy to update if necessary.
A few years ago, many of these needs have been covering with desktop applications. But in this connected world, web applications have many advantages, as we have seen.
The choice between browser-based software and a dedicated application ultimately depends on factors such as functionality, accessibility, performance, and user requirements. In some situations, there are clear reasons to use an app over a web browser, particularly when users need capabilities that are better supported by an installed application.
Once the application has been designed and developed, deployment requires careful planning to ensure that users can access it reliably. Following a structured process for successfully launching your web app can help teams prepare the application, test its functionality, and address potential issues before release.
How does Web Application work?
The web application has three parts
The database, which is where the solution data is stored (content, users, permissions.)
The application code, that is, the application itself, is stored on an application server, which is usually hosted in the cloud but can also run on a local server.
The user accesses the application from any supported device through a web browser. It includes, depending on the application, both the administrator or manager and the end-user (in case a service is offered), who will access different sections according to their permissions (or even applications).
Different technologies for developing an application are
The most used databases are SQL Server or MySql
For the application, they use ASP.NET (with different possible languages) or PHP.
Modern web development also includes JavaScript frameworks and libraries that can simplify the creation of interactive interfaces. For example, developers evaluating frontend technologies may want to consider React.js for web app development when building responsive and component-based user experiences.
The user’s browser usually receives the information in HTML5
Examples of Web Applications
We tell you some concrete examples of Web Applications developed by Neosoft, although they are only a small example since the possibilities are immense.
Web application for communities of owners
Intranet, document management, bulletin board, incident management in communities, communication with owners, document repository, statistics for owners with analysis of results.
Web application for property management
Registration, cancellation, and modification of properties, statistics, and analysis of changes, history of modifications, statistics of numerical values, differential access by permits, calculations of global figures, the export of results.
Incident Management Web Application
Incident registration, technician assignment, resolution control, service times, history of modifications, management of different types of customer contracts, customer management.
Web application for sales management
Virtual store with online payment, automatic billing management, internal sales control, statistics by customers, product control, management of discounts by product or by a customer, customer differentiation.
When a web application needs to exchange sales, customer, inventory, or accounting information with an existing business platform, an API can provide the necessary connection. For example, Odoo API integration can help connect web-based applications with Odoo business management functionality.
Web application to sign
Application for different users of an entity to sign from different workplaces, management of absences and also absences, statistics of entry hours, work times.
Tourism Web Application
Management of maps with different types of points, reservations, information spaces, a repository of tourist documentation, contact.
Web Portal Application
Complex web portal with signature campaigns, donation collection, multiple elements such as emergencies, updates, news of different types, digital communications, personalized data collection.
Communication Web Application
Management of communications shipments to clients, automatic user management with registrations, cancellations, and secure modifications by the user, different types of shipments with templates.
Web applications can also connect with external communication services through APIs. For organizations that still rely on fax-based workflows, fax API integration can connect web applications with fax functionality and help automate document transmission.
