Web 2.0: Apollo Lands among the new RIA Landscape

Adobe’s “Apollo is a cross-OS runtime that allows developers to leverage their existing web development skills (Flash, Flex, TML, AJAX) to build and deploy desktop Rich Internet Applications (RIA’s)”.  That’s how Adobe describes their new development platform.

Over just the last few months, the introduction of RIA development tools has exploded.  OpenLaszlo has been out there for some time.  Add to that now Adobe’s Apollo, Sun’s JavaFX, and Microsoft’s SilverLight. 

A victim of these new technology wars is certain to be AJAX — the somewhat clumsy JavaScript technology that has been the rage the last couple of years of a more primitive first-generation RIA.  AJAX technologies are trying to keep up, like Dojo and their introduction of off-line toolkit.  RIAs blur the lines between the traditional ‘thin-client web-based’ and traditional desktop applications.

The browser/technology wars have been taken to the next level.  Web applications have been slowly leaking out of the boundaries of the browser to occupy space on the desktop.  Until recently, only browsers, email apps and a very few desktop applications have had any awareness of the internet.  

But that trend started to change with the introduction of things like Yahoo! and Google widgets/gadgets.  Widgets have tended to be very simple one-function applications that occupy a limited amount of desktop screen space and that were often Internet-aware, providing information like weather updates, audio from radio stations, and RSS feeds. 

Apollo is a platform that includes a rich set of design tools for developers to create applications that are cross-platform, internet-aware, and have a native desktop-like user interface.  The applications can run on PCs, Macs, cell phones, and other devices and Operating Systems. 

EBay is one example of an early adopter of Apollo and they are creating a next-generation interface to their auction system.

Adobe has some technology strengths that give them an early lead in the race among RIA platforms.  Flash and PDF are virtually ubiquitious.  Users upgrading copies of the free versions of these products will no doubt be given an option to download Apollo components as well.  This will help them to build a base of Apollo users quickly.

The race among these new RIA technologies is just beginning and it’s hard to know where it will lead.  One thing is clear though:  browser technology has plateaued and next generation technologies will bring in a new round of change.