ABA Banking Journal - April 2008 - (Page 36)

COVER STORY TECHNOLOGY ences spotlight technologies that deliver richness to the web, most notably the mid March AJAX World (“AJAX,” meaning asynchronous java, one language driving RIAs). Furthermore, Gartner, Forrester, and other tech consulting firms have written about RIAs and early adopters, including Fidelity, Citibank, and Deutsche Bank have been busy. And vendors are active. Adobe, for example, recently introduced a crossoperational-system platform called Air that attempts to let users blend internet applications into one interface without the constraints of standard browsers. Also, Adobe’s third iteration of the Flex development framework, is putting its bid in to dominate the emerging commercial RIA space. Microsoft has similar thoughts, doubtless, with Silverlight, its own RIA platform. Dinesh Sheth, CEO, uMonitor a Memphis-based web development firm, agrees that top 25 banks have made incremental improvements using RIA technologies over the last 15 months. At the same time, some very small banks that pride themselves on IT sophistication are also participating in pilots or introducing features on their own like information grids, or simulators with sliding buttons that can help a user visualize retirement savings or the impact of loan terms. “This will be a time where midsized banks, which haven’t done as much even though they stand to gain the most, will be playing catch-up and seeing how they can drive more business process to the web,” says Dinesh. “Where, originally, Web 2.0 was about information sharing, now, it’s evolved to being used for transforming paper-based processes and pushing them out to the web,” says Gina Poole, vice-president of social software programming and enablement with IBM. “Basically, Web 2.0 technologies let the net be more of a full-service channel while offering a less clunky user experience as it does so,” she says. READER RESOURCE Rich Internet Applications Guide Want to know more about rich internet applications but don’t know where to start? These links can help. Wikipedia/”rich internet application”: Search the biggest wiki around (www.wikipedia.org) under “rich internet application” and you find a complete write up on the subject, including some references to the history of the method. The site points out such geek details as the fact that RIAs typically run in web browsers and do not require a software installation. They run locally in a secure environment called a “sandbox.” Flex Developer’s Journal: This site (http://flex.sys-con.com/) offers many articles on the subject, including: Three RIA Tools Examined: JSF, Flex, and JavaFX. DevX.com: With a tagline, “The know-how behind applications development,” DevX.com (http://www.devx.com) is technical in nature but a good lead for vendors, and something that the techsavvy in your firm might benefit from. Plus, it has its own special report, “A New era for rich internet have written about early use of RIAs in the banking industry. Xoetrope: This RIA provider offers examples of the technology’s uses in product display, dashboards, charts, and graphs. (http://www.xoetrope.com/xui/scree nshots/rs3) applications.” RIApedia: A blog devoted to “real applications developed with technologies like Adobe Flash, Flex or Air.” (www.riapedia.com) Catalyst Resources: This consultancy specializes in financial services and has worked with a variety of RIAs for its clients. (www.catalyst resources.com) Forrester: (www.forrester.com) Cathy Graeber and Ron Rogowski What RIAs can do for you Some of this sounds beneficial and yet, you may be wondering, with a flailing economy and the ripe memories of other recent woes, should RIAs be a cover story and a priority? Yes, say proponents. And we agree. For starters, the “technologies of richness” can make the web more successful at the sales and service functions it was originally designed to handle. “Rich user experience can help with channel branding and marketing,” notes Paul Giurata, managing partner, San Mateo, Calif.-based Catalyst Resources. “In terms of existing customers, RIA features can help banks enhance selfservice capabilities,” he says. Giurata is known as a top user interface developer and his company specializes in the financial services vertical. He is extremely knowledgeable about the new generation of web-oriented code libraries and scripting languages. As a coding strategy, Giurata says, these technologies allow better website performance because what makes rich applications “rich” is an approach to coding that allows, in 36 MARCH 2008/ABA BANKING JOURNAL Subscribe at www.ababj.com http://www.ibm.com/us http://www.riapedia.com http://www.wikipedia.org http://www.catalystresources.com http://www.forrester.com http://www.catalystresources.com http://www.catalystresources.com http://flex.sys-con.com/ http://www.devx.com http://www.devx.com http://www.devx.com http://www.xoetrope.com/xui/screenshots/rs3 http://www.xoetrope.com/xui/screenshots/rs3 http://www.ababj.com

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ABA Banking Journal - April 2008 Contents Editor's Column You Can't Beat Wal-Mart: Or Can You? Snapshot: Non-Interest Income Shoulders More Weight ABA National Conference for Community Bankers Report 100th Anniversary: Then & Now ABA Resources ABA Chairman's Position Banks Plus Insurance: How to Make It Work Pass the Aspirin 2008: Year of Rich Internet Apps? Tough Time For That IPO Your Audience Needs to Know Who You Are Telepresence: Costly But Very Cool Webnotes Better Websites Mean Tougher Compliance Mailbox Banker's Mart To Advertise/Index of Advertisers The Economy

ABA Banking Journal - April 2008

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