Most oil and gas land software packages you'll find are still built using desktop software (i.e. installed software). However, the rest of the software industry has embraced the web and software applications of all kinds have been re-created as online, browser-based software. When we built Landboss, our online land management software, we took a hard look at whether we should build a desktop application or a web-based application.Below is a brief look at our reasoning.
The Case for Online Software
Access Anywhere
The true power of online software is you can get to it quickly from any computer without having to install software.
Less Hassle and Maintenance
Software isn't going to install perfectly on every machine. Every computer has gone on it's own journey and could have had hosts of problems that cause even the best install package to fail.
Rich User-Interface and Interaction
In recent years, as online software has evolved, the user interfaces have become much more interactive. It's now much easier to make a friendly, intuitive application on the web than it is on the desktop.
Why We Chose to Build an Online Software Package
Our primary concerns in building Landboss were ease of use, affordability, and access to reporting anywhere. We could not see how we could do this on a desktop platform. Building Landboss as an online software product opens up many opportunities that are simply not available or more difficult to implement in a desktop software product. Installed software also requires much more maintenance and care because we have to support multiple operating systems (Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 2007, etc...). With online software we have to support multiple Internet Browsers, but in our view that was simpler.
The Concerts About Online Software
The main concerns we here from people are:
- Is it secure?
- What if I lose Internet?
These are two very real concerns.
Is it secure?
Security is very important to us and we take many steps to make sure that your data is safe and protected by multiple layers of security. However, most employers don't realize that their number one security risk is their personnel. If an employee writes their username and password down on a sticky note, it's available for anyone to see. If the user makes their password "orange", that makes their account susceptible to a "dictionary attack". The first line of security has to start with the employer to make sure his people are acting responsibly.
What if I lose Internet?
The stability of Internet access has come a long way in the last few years. Most people in populated areas have very little trouble staying on the Internet and outages are usually handled quickly. If you do find yourself in an area prone to outages, dual Internet lines or cell card access can provide backup access. We are betting on the future, not the past. With every passing year, the Internet becomes more enmeshed in our lives. Even though some parts of the oil and gas industry have been slow to adopt the web, we believe those who embrace it fully will have a great advantage.
