 Should
Your Web Site Include a Database?
More and more, businesses and
organizations want their web site to do something besides
present static content and pictures. What
can a web site do? With a database attached to
it and the correct software, a web site can, among other
things, enable you to welcome visitors to your
site by name and control which pages and functions they
have access to, convey real-time
data, permit users to register
for an event or apply for a job, display an
easily-updateable calendar, or host a message board or
special-interest community. In addition, a database-driven web site can do virtually
anything that you're now doing on your standalone PC or
client-server network.
A familiar example is "e-commerce", or
the online store. But selling merchandise is only one of
many possibilities. "E-business" (of which e-commerce is only a part) can be defined simply as transacting business
electronically. These transactions can occur in front
office business functions, such as marketing, sales, and
customer service activities. Or, they can occur in back
office business functions, such as human resources,
inventory and supply chain activities.
Putting business applications on the internet makes
sense because:
- Employees, customers, vendors and
others can connect to your key business data from
virtually anywhere, at any time, facilitating the
flow of information, and
- Since web applications normally use a regular internet
browser, there is no special software for users or
customers to install. This translates to lower maintenance
costs and higher satisfaction.
Case Studies:
E-Order Manager
An Order Management System
Community
Linkages Project A Housing Database for
Mental Health Patients
SPAR Student
Profile and Assessment Record
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