Intro
Local Versus Remote Solutions
Locally Installed Applications
Before the age of widespread, fast and reliable internet services, most systems were installed locally on computers. Software systems needed to be installed separately on each machine and the system was usually designed to work on specific hardware, such as windows or Mac.
Example local applications: MS Paint, Notepad.
Remote Hosted Applications
More recently there has been a rise in the popularity of remote hosted solutions which are accessed via the users web browser. This is due to improvements in the availability of stable and reliable internet connections, together with the development of webapp APIs (such as Django), that have allowed for faster and most versatile development of remotely hosted solutions.
Hybrid Solutions
Many modern systems operate on a hybrid of the above two systems, incorporating the benefits of both systems. Here the system is browser based but still offers limited functionality when the user is offline.
Example: Google Docs (when offline access is enabled)
Pros & Cons
When you are considering whether to develop a local or remote solution is important to consider a number of factors:
- Complexity
- Cost
- Security
- Reliabilty
- Hardware & Operating System requirements
- Update & maintenance issues
- Legal Considerations
Complexity
Local vs Remote Systems – Complexity
Local solutions tend to be simpler than remote solutions, especially if there doesn’t need to significant online database access and backup facilities.
Remote solutions require the purchase or lease of hardware, hosting and domain names.
The remote server needs to be powerful enough to cope with processing requirements of multiple simultaneous users accessing the system and needs to be scalable enough to cope with increase demand, both in terms or processing power as well as storage.
Cost
Local vs Remote Systems – Cost
Remote systems require substantial investment and maintenance costs for the server and hosting. Local systems on the other hand rely on the user’s hardware for processing and storage of data and so there is a far lower outlay.
It can cost significantly moved to install the program and support users on local systems because the chances of having compatibility issues is far higher on locally installed software, especially if the system designer has no control over which hardware the systems is to be install on.
Security
Local vs Remote Systems – Security Risks
There are significant security considerations for both local and remote solutions.
With local systems data is stored and accessed offline and therefore there is less chance of a system being hacked than an online server, which will often be subject hundreds or thousands of attacks per day.
However locally installed systems are reliant on the users behaving in a safe manner – not installing spyware, using a strong password, encrypting the hard drive etc.
Reliability
Local vs Remote Systems – Reliability
Locally hosted solutions are generally more reliable than remote solutions due to the fact that remote systems rely on a stable internet connection in order to work. Also the remote server itself maybe have connection issues, which would result in the whole system going down.
Hardware
Local vs Remote Systems – Hardware
Because local systems relying of the user’s system for processing and data storage, the performance of the system will vary from machine to machine.
For remote systems a lot of the processing is completed on the host server so there are usually lower hardware requirements.
Also remote systems are run via a web browser and therefore are normally far more compatible with a wider variety of hardware.
Legal
Legal Considerations
There are a number of legal factors to be considered when developing remote systems, especially in regards to data protection. European legislation dictates that systems that process data for individuals within the EU should not be sent to or stored on servers in countries that don’t comply with the standards set by the European legislation.
Also, for both location and remote solutions, copyright and patent laws need to be taken into consideration, especially when the system developed includes GPL or CC licensed code.
Updates
Updates & Maintenance
One of the key advantages of remotely hosted software over local software is the ease and simplicity of updating and maintenance. Remote software can be updated quickly and often without the user even knowing that an update has been completed. This is because a single update is performed on the hosting server, rather than on each of the user’s computers.
Updating local software often requires intervention on the part of the user and if updates are not completed correctly then there may be compatibility issues if a centralized database is part of the system.
One advantage of using a locally installed system is that users can choose to roll-back updates if the update has had a negative effect on the user. With remote systems this is often not possible.
SAAS
Software As a Service
Software as a service is the term used to describe remote system software where the user pays and ongoing monthly subscription in order to access the software, rather than pay a one-off, up-front payment. These systems have boomed in popularity over the last 10 years and now many of the larger software providers, such as Adobe and Microsoft, have shifted over the this kind of revenue model.
Advantages
- Lower up-front costs.
- Immediate access to newer features.
- No incompatibility issues between older and never versions of the software.
- No need to install a new version of the software.
- More stable income model for the service provider.
Disadvantages
- Can be more expensive in the long term.
- You can’t choose to delay upgrades to save money.
- Once you stop paying you lose access to the service immediately.
- Tends to perform poorly on older hardware as new features are constantly being added that are aimed toward more powerful machines.