AJAX Stands for Asynchronous JavaScript And XML, Ajax is a type of web development method popularized in 2005 by Google. Though it is not a new programming language, Ajax has given a new means to create user friendly web applications. It has revolutionized the usage of existing standards of programming and brings efficiency in the system. The main advantage of using Ajax technology is to display quick responses and increase interactivity with the end users.

AJAX is based on JavaScript and HTTP requests. With this new technology, your JavaScript can communicate directly with the server, using JavaScript XMLHttpRequest object. Through the help of this object, your JavaScript can collect data from a web server without reloading the page. This technology uses asynchronous data transfer (HTTP requests) conducted between the browser and the web server, allowing web pages to request little information from the server instead of whole pages.

There are plenty more Ajax-powered sites, and every day a whole lot more become available. What makes this technology so special? Here are a few good contributers:

• It uses relatively well established browser technology -- no plugins are needed, and most browsers these days are fully capable of supporting Ajax-enhanced pages.
• For the most part pages are still recognisable by search engines, meaning that unlike technologies like Flash, search engines will still understand what your page is about.
• It's economical. Instead of downloading a whole page when all you want to know is the weather, a well designed Ajax-based site will only download the information you need, leaving everything else perfectly intact.
• It's fast and responsive. Because much of the programming code that makes an Ajax-based page so useful is downloaded onto your local computer, much of your functionality is very fast and responsive, the same as any locally installed program.
• It's non-proprietary technology. Ajax is a combination of established web standards. You will never have to pay to use it, and neither will the people who program it for you.

On-Server AJAX, opens the path for enterprises to enjoy the AJAX evolution benefits

Server based computing platforms such as Citrix and Windows Terminal Services have grown in popularity as a result of no alternatives means of supporting heavy deployments of client-server line of business applications over web. Their costs are accordingly. On-Server AJAX paradigm shift allows for the first time, to support deployments of complex AJAX line of business applications in unprecedented simplicity, by-design security, no-limit complexities all at dramatically reduced costs.

Eliminating the security hazard, facilitating enterprises usage

Client side AJAX requires the browser to connect directly to a web service or even a raw data provider. Since this is a very dangerous practice, developers usually connect to a proxy application service which understands the “context” of the request by recalling session state. There are numerous articles discussing the security challenges presented by client side AJAX. For consumer internet sites, the improved user experience has usually overridden the security concerns. However, for enterprise applications this is still a key concern.

On-Server AJAX utilizes a client side “rendering” engine which communicates with the server over XMLHttp. The rendering engine uses a proprietary protocol to incrementally update the view. The client never consumes data or services directly since all of the application logic, UI logic and data access is handled on the server. The client simply connects to the “view” on the server and therefore never compromises security. Furthermore, since a proprietary protocol is used to correlate view state between the server and the client, it’s a greater challenge to override, eavesdrop or hack.

In addition in On -Server AJAX, the only data that is delivered to the client is data that can be viewed on the client meaning there is never any sensitive data that may be required for logic or validation beyond what is rendered and seen by the user on the screen.

Developer Productivity in building complex enterprise level GUIs, as never before While AJAX has brought a significant improvement in user experience and application complexity, it has also brought about a dramatic increase in the complexity of development and testing. Furthermore it requires developers to a number of different languages: Javascript, HTML, CSS and XML on the client as well as the server side language being used to develop the underlying business logic.

A complex web application such as Microsoft Outlook Web Access or Salesforce.com also requires serious architecting skills in order to maintain application state, security and data integrity between local cached data and server side data. While historical, page based web applications were deemed easier and cheaper to develop then their desktop counterparts, developing a complex client based AJAX web application is harder and more expensive to develop then an equivalent client-server application.

On-Server AJAX paradigm shift enables the developer to use a single language and programming model in order to design the application UI and the underlying logic. In addition it alleviates the need to understand and deal with the web’s innate statelessness. Instead On-Server AJAX offers the use of well known design patterns and tools such as WinForms to design and develop highly interactive, data rich applications with the same productivity of desktop applications. Simplifying the architecture from a loosely coupled, stateless, multi-language/technology into a tightly coupled, object oriented, single language environment means less time is spent on architecture, development, debugging and maintenance ultimately improving ROI and TCO. In addition the layout and interaction design are not as limiting as most web oriented application development platforms.

A-1 Technology, an offshore software outsourcing company is working on Ajax technology . Various small and large organizations can greatly benefit from this wonderful technology. A-1 technology has best in class resources for Ajax technology that can help in leveraging the capabilities of ajax to reduce development cost and time to market.