AJAX spurs Web rebirth for desktop apps

"Slicker development techniques like AJAX, a way of building interactive browser-based applications, are fueling a surge in consumer Web applications. These new techniques are even reviving efforts to create what was once considered impractical: online alternatives to Microsoft Office. The launch of high-profile Web services, notably Google Maps, which provided a noticeably better user experience than traditional Web sites, helped publicize the AJAX technique. Now, dozens of start-up companies are using it to create hosted versions of desktop applications, from word processors to project management software. But rather than simply replicate Microsoft Office online, many of these Web applications, sometimes referred to as Web 2.0, focus on publishing and sharing information over the Net." Source: news.com.com