Although AJAX has gotten a lot of press attention over the last two years, most of it has focused on the technology: JavaScript, XML, and JSON. But what business benefits do AJAX-enabled Internet applications provide? The primary benefit for users is an improved experience: one closer to desktop applications. Here I'll review the benefits of AJAX for users and then link them to specific business benefits and make some recommendations about developing AJAX features in existing applications.

AJAX and the Rich Interface Application
The goal of creating Rich Interface Applications deployed via Web browsers isn't new, of course. In making the transition from client/server applications to Web applications, we gained ease of deployment ­ all you need is a standard Web browser ­ but we took a major step backwards in terms of the interface. A certain austere simplicity was imposed in the early days by the limitations of HTML and this arguably made the first wave of Web applications easier to understand and use by neophytes. Nevertheless, for users who understood and were accustomed to more complex, interactive interfaces, Web apps came to be a frustrating experience at best.

In a report published in May of 2001 ("The X Internet") Forrester Research described the need for an experience delivered over the Web that was more akin to the experience of desktop applications. It noted that "today's Internet experience is more like reading in a dusty library than basking in the birth of a new medium" and argued that the solution would be "an executable Net that greatly improves the online experience" by creating deeper interactivity and an experience more like desktop applications:

"Intelligent applications that execute code near the user to create rich, engaging conversations via the Net."

Rather than downloaded heavy Java applets and applications like those Forrester predicted, contemporary Rich Internet Applications are probably based on AJAX. (The Forrester "X Internet" report specifically links the executable Net to "millions of Java Virtual Machines" ­ but the clear victor in 2006 would seem to be JavaScript, not Java, for developing client-side functionality).

AJAX-style applications are fundamentally identified by two key characteristics:

HTTP requests in JavaScript not requiring an entirely new page request (often, but not always, "asynchronous" requests, in the sense that they're not triggered by specific user clicks)

Programmatic updating or portions of the page without a full page reload

These two relatively simple concepts, combined with a healthy dose of programmer ingenuity, opened the door to developing complex applications to run in Web browsers without a browser plug-in.

User Benefits and Business Benefits
The primary business benefits of AJAX applications derive from the improved experiences they offer to users:
User Benefit
Associated Business Benefit
Ease of contribution
More frequent contributions from more users
Immediate feedback
Fewer abandoned transactions,
Better data submitted
More interactive experience
Longer sessions,
Increased user loyalty
Responsive local actions
Lower server-side computing, bandwidth costs
Automatic updates
Lower cost of deployment, upgrades

Ease of Contribution
Although these aren't specifically "asynchronous," AJAX widgets enabling users to contribute content or data to a page without going through a complicated, multi-step process are increasingly common. A good example of this is Amazon's ratings widget on product pages. As the user moves the cursor over it, the available stars fill in and their meaning is displayed in text (I hate it, I don't like it, It's OK, I like it, I love it). If the user clicks on the fourth star, for example, he submits a four-star rating (I like it) and the "Rate this Item" widget is replaced by one listing the saved rating.

While small and unobtrusive, this widget provides a very usable interface for submitting a rating. It avoids the need to click on a link, load a separate page (or pop-up), fill out a Web form, submit that Web form, and be shown a confirmation page (or pop-up), which requires another click to return to the original product page. Similar functionality abounds in many Web 2.0 properties like the way Flickr lets users add tags to photos without navigating through a multi-step process.

What's the business benefit in making it easier for users to contribute without disrupting the application flow?

Well, increased contributions for one. In the era of Web 2.0 and the architecture of participation, getting a larger number of users to contribute a review, comment, tag, or rating can make the difference between a successful network and dead one.

Immediate Feedback
One of the most painful experiences of the first generation of Web applications was the multi-page form. Whether registering for access to a site, filling out a checkout form in an e-commerce store, or trying to establish a recurring payment in an online banking application, users came to dread the "step 1 of 5" flows such applications required.