Web Applications Yet to Reach Critical Mass?

Ars Technica, citing a survey performed by Rubicon Consulting, reports that although Web applications in the realm of email and games have taken off, office productivity Web apps have yet to make significant inroads. According to the results, "Web-based productivity apps, such as word processing and spreadsheet applications, are being used by only 1 to 2 percent of the computer-using population."

Not surprisingly, security was named as a main hindrance for wider adoption. For the startup or even established nonprofit, there are many benefits in using web apps, but there are also things to watch out for as well. For example, even the venerable Gmail had a security flaw, which to their credit they fixed promptly. 

Many Web apps use open-source code and technologies, which could lead to a quick patch or fix of the vulnerability. Organizations not familiar with security issues or technology to begin need to consider the potential tradeoff between immediate convenience of a Web app and the increased certainty with mainstream technology.