Offshore Silverlight Development and Its Various Services

Many companies based in India promote themselves as those who provide top notch Microsoft Silverlight App Development services. They have a team which is full of Silverlight developers and Flex professionals who deliver web design and development services. But not many companies are wholly experienced in the domain. Developers build applications which suit the customer’s budget along with business interests. Silverlight Development services provided by some companies allow the creation of highly dynamic and responsive websites which do not take much of time for loading or processing. Using Silverlight, one can get animated effects without the need for refreshing the page completely. Silverlight also brings the gap of traditional applications and web applications closer.

Not many companies have rich experience in Silverlight and .NET programming and seldom have some companies scored more than 10 projects in any domain. One should always look out for testimonials and previous clients of such vendors who claim that they are the best in the business. One should be aware of the client’s expertise as well as the quality of work that they have delivered previously. It is important to be committed to the growth of our customers.  It is also necessary to share Silverlight Development solutions expertise with much detail with the vendors once they are finalized.

Some companies provide a plethora of services in Silverlight because of their wide range of expertise and experience of several years in ASP.NET development. Here are some services which are provided by the typical offshore web development providers:

• Silverlight Domain-specific Application Development
• ASP.NET Development
• XAML Development
• XML development
• WCF-based RIA Services
• Modules Development
• Sales Dashboard Development
• Portal Development
• Plug-ins Development and Customization

Clients should be sure of the offshore vendor that they have chosen and also of the expertise of the Silverlight development team that they have planned to hire. Sometimes, some companies conceal the experience and expertise of some Silverlight developers who have low experience and always showcase the experience and knowledge of particular project managers. A company’s rich experience in Silverlight development can be witnessed once clients confirm about their previous work in the same technology. Here are some of the modules which are offered by the ideal set of companies who provide Silverlight development services:

• Silverlight RIA services
• Silverlight Controls
• Silverlight Dashboards
• Silverlight Charts
• Silverlight services coupled with Expression Blend

Some of the applications that are usually provided by experienced companies in offshore locations include:
EHR/EMR application, especially for the healthcare industry
Virtual event management systems
Sales and marketing dashboards along with sales decision support systems
Online tracking of goods for transportation and logistics companies
E-commerce applications including e-stores and shopping portals
Social networking sites, plugins and third-party add-ons

It is also important for any client opting for a service or a solutions provider in the field of Silverlight development to confirm whether they have worked for clients belonging to different industries. Ideal service provider companies work for different domains including the social networking industry, the Healthcare industry, media industry, Logistics industry and Finance industry. Domain-specific problems can be solved only by firms who are well-versed with the industries. No amount of technology experience can offset the domain experience need.

Microsoft Silverlight and its Cutting-Edge Services

Microsoft Silverlight is an efficient cross-platform, cross-browser framework which allows developers to create rich internet applications or RIAs in web development. It is a hugely persuasive platform which is heavily used for creating interactive business applications for different websites, even offline devices and the mobile world. It is also a free plug-in which is freely distributed with all browsers, devices and operating systems as it defines a new era of user experience and interactivity.

Silverlight has a fantastic graphics system which integrates animation, vector graphics and even some profound multimedia features. It can be run in a single runtime environment too and is always interactive. The latest version offers rich class and user interface library which helps in quick web development support for different programming languages.

Not every company has Microsoft Silverlight developers who have large years of experience since the technology is new. There are very rare companies who have completed more than 25 projects in the domain. It is important to set applications which match the customer’s budget their interests. It also allows for highly dynamic and responsive websites which load fast and resemble the processing speed and load time of desktops. Real-time update is a prominent feature of Silverlight and one does not need to refresh the webpage too for loading.

Some companies also have rich experience in Silverlight and .NET programming and not many companies can boast about customers who vouch for their expertise and commitment to overall growth.  A host of web development companies are now interested in Silverlight development for web design and development services. It is particularly tough to get hold of experienced Silverlight Developers who can say that they have in-depth knowledge of the technology. The clients are always in the lookout of talent in the field but not many have managed to gain success.

Here are some of the benefits offered by Silverlight

• The next generation Rich Internet Application development using Silverlight Asp .Net
• Cross compatibility between RIA applications developed through Silverlight
• Engaging user experience with the apps on all browsers
• Easy integration and migration with existing third-party web applications
• Quick delivery of high quality audio, video and even graphics
• Support for LINQ and LINQ-to-XML
• Support for third party codecs
• High consistency and interactive user experience
• Application run without refresh; automatic loading

To leverage the features offered by Silverlight, many companies offer the following services

• RIA Development and add-ons using several features of Silverlight
• Audio and video integration with Silverlight
• Rich animation and multimedia for enhanced user experience
• Silverlight UI design and development
• Integration of Silverlight functionalities in websites
• Widget and game development
• Integrate with JavaScript and Ajax with current Silverlight applications

It is important to choose an efficient and effective web development provider who can deliver the project on time and within budget. Expertise and experience should be adjudged after a particular pilot project is fulfilled upto expectations. One needs to take care of the whole process from the initial design to final stage. Additionally, one needs to understand that the effects and animation should not be too jarring for websites, but should be used only when needed.

The Present State of Silverlight Development and its Future: Is it Going to Die?

Microsoft had pitted its own Silverlight as a competitor to Adobe Flash some years back. Silverlight development involves the blend of animations, graphics and all types of multimedia very effectively and efficiently. The demand for Silverlight development has taken a beating in recent times but it is still preferred by many for their interactive applications. It is popular among different types of businesses across the globe for web development. Silverlight also delivers a rich and high quality experience of video. The developers work on different web applications using the technology effectively. The advantage is that it can work with browser efficiently even though a plug-in might be required to run it.

The rumors around Microsoft are floating considerably about Silverlight. Most analysts believe that Silverlight is dead or will soon be dead since Microsoft is preferring HTML 5 as the go-to web development technology as the future.

But there is more than what meets the eye. It is feasible to envision that Microsoft might want to think about stopping Silverlight since the advent of HTML5 which is touted to be the future or the go-to solution for web development. There are many communities who are actually speculating that Microsoft will let Silverlight go because of the problems involved. Microsoft has committed on the release of Silverlight 5 which might be bigger and better for many reasons. This has lessened the rumors but the future of Silverlight development is not certain.

Some of the analysts again claimed that Silverlight might die after it releases its version 5. I personally do not think so since Silverlight development drives many companies to create innovation applications during web development. There are several issues which would certainly prevent Microsoft from pulling the plug from Silverlight.

Silverlight is the go-to technology for Microsoft’s huge family of products. Windows Phone 7 is the latest entrant to embrace Silverlight and CRM 2011 is to be extended too using Silverlight.

There are numerous Microsoft partnerships which center on Silverlight technology right from component vendors to the end clients. Now there might be some legal connection with Silverlight and the clients but the main problem is that Microsoft will find its whole ecosystem under trouble. The Microsoft Development stack up will face problems if Silverlight is discontinued.

Microsoft has certainly decided that they have already shifted most of their future strategies from Silverlight to focus on LOB applications. There is no focus as yet on a platform independent browser on the basis of which Silverlight started. The focus has shifted to greener pastures, one must say.

Most analysts who are not negative about HTML 5 as the go-to-technology would prefer Silverlight to continue as a technology but should not try to be on every browser. The marketing of Silverlight and its development can go on expected lines of revamping it with the course of the end of the year. Chances are that with its survival, it might be able to resurface again as one of the most competent technologies that Microsoft has ever produced!

The Demand for Silverlight Development and the Advantages

Interactive internet is a recent thing; the online world was not as complex as it is today. Most pages were plain text and simply boring while multimedia was still in the nascent stage. But over two decades, the world-wide-web slowly and steadily became more and more advanced and complex. More than 90% of the sites now boast of 2D and 3D images today with impeccable audio and video. Animation is ruling the movie world while it has also found space in the corporate market when companies opt for branding in a big way. Web pages are now interactive and interesting and popularly known as rich internet applications (RIAs). Microsoft Silverlight platform can help in RIA development to a great extent. One can create complex and user-friendly websites with the help of Silverlight technology.

With the sudden demand in Silverlight applications, many offshore technology providers have broadened their offerings. Silverlight, which was launched four years back, has grown handsomely in the space of 5 releases which has worked wonders in its existing features and presents a fascinating picture of the web. Silverlight is now popular in diverse platforms including mobile, desktop and web. .NET technology is widely used for creating Silverlight applications. XML is used as a markup language and traditional languages have greatly reduced the learning curve too. Silverlight is extremely popular for delivering business applications too since the platform is compatible with nearly all browsers including Internet Explorer, Apple’s Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Aurora at the client side network. Silverlight’s cross-browser compatibility has earned it praise and high demand. The real data is stored at the server and hence the performance of the application is comparatively higher than other applications. Silverlight also works well with nearly all operating systems and is an ideal cross-platform technology.

Expert Silverlight developers are known to create varied applications including web-based apps to huge video games. Most companies even resort to Silverlight for creating audio stream applications. Dynamic code can be saved in separate files which is accessible from anywhere during the development of rich internet applications. Twitter is developed using Silverlight and its architecture has allowed several developers to work on multiple projects simultaneously for quick processing. Silverlight heightens the attraction of applications as well makes them interactive and quick in execution which is really helpful for better sales in some domains. Silverlight 5 which is the latest entrant in the Microsoft family is advanced than Adobe Flash in a variety of its features.

One can isolate web development and web design for creating extremely effective web designs. Websites can now handle more and more data while the internet speeds have reached megabytes to per second. The mobile application development market has boosted Silverlight development too and internet accessibility has reached the smartphones at an alarming rate. Silverlight has reached various avenues and every platform which helps users to read news, play online games, or even find specific locations are based on Silverlight. The need of the hour is to opt for more innovative Silverlight applications to promote services in the corporate world, as business apps are becoming famous day by day.

Rich Internet Applications and their role in Web Development

Rich Internet applications feature an interface that is extremely responsive compared to traditional applications. Many of the frameworks which are used to build rich internet applications involve more processing to the client server than the centralized server. The user's browser sends small pieces of data one at a time in asynchronous mode. Hence only relevant pieces of information are sent and updated, after which the traditional web applications follow suit. Hence web development companies prefer to use RIAs for providing an optimal experience to the user.

The best known frameworks for developing rich Internet applications are Flex, AJAX, and Microsoft Silverlight. Let us have further insight into each one of these.

Flex stands tall with the largest market share compared to any other framework. It boasts of a penetration of around 90 percent which is quite difficult to achieve for Silverlight. Flash was originally designed for multimedia management and hence most internet browsers support its plugin. It is also freely available and runs easily. Flex can also enable a website to perform as a thick client application too.

But there are cons involved too. Not all browsers have Flash installed and versions also change from time to time. The user is required to download the new version if the webpage requires it. Some see this part as a drawback since those users who are not allowed to download it will automatically navigate away from that web page.

Microsoft Silverlight on the other hand was created to compete with Flex and with other RIA frameworks. Silverlight is based on .NET technology and is part of Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF). Microsoft Silverlight offers a lightweight version of .NET which runs in a browser sandbox.

Silverlight is not currently in as much as use as Flex so chances are that users would ignore the page totally if they are required to download the necessary plug in. Yet, Microsoft Silverlight is extremely appealing for .NET developers who are into web development from some years. Since .NET is already well-known all over the web development world, Silverlight has the chance to grab market share in the near future.

AJAX stands for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML which is gaining acceptance and is making its web presence felt. AJAX gives the developer the ability to create pages which are like thick clients. Those who understand JavaScript language can use AJAX. Not all browsers use JavaScript well and users have the choice to disable it completely.

Elan Emerging Technologies is web application services providing company like Rich Internet Application Development and Silverlight Development. We are specialize in Web apps, Mobile apps development and develop a wide range of better-quality apps.

Advantages of AJAX Development

Get ready for a dynamic web experience with AJAX Development which does not even need a page refresh! AJAX just provides that inimitable effect to the websites that it adorns. AJAX stands for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML and is a fantastic programming technique which lets you build attractive web applications. Interactivity of AJAX-powered interfaces is what makes them so popular as it easily completes the widening gap of desktop and web applications.

With AJAX implementation for creating custom web applications, there would be better speed, interactivity and even usability amongst the users. Even simple sites can be created using AJAX while some of the most complex business applications are also made using AJAX.

Rich web interfaces actually adds immense value to enterprise applications and their UI since they are designed using progressive SOA (Services Oriented Architecture). The extended visual service provided by AJAX is present along with great interactivity features and desktop functionalities. It also adds more value to user interaction even in remote applications. By adding Rich Internet Application Development ( RIA) to the applications which already function offers better control over document and data dissemination along with overall operational cost savings and enhanced security.

A full-cycle software development cycle right from business analysis to implementation and training can be worked out using AJAX. The best development tools are utilized and tested using agile methodology for short time-to-market cycles. With the modular approach and good system architecture, fantastic application maintainability is assured along with new functionalities and add-ons.

Many companies use a plethora of AJAX frameworks for creating unique aspects and features. The framework helps in boosting developers’ productivity and even revs up the cycle.

Some of the frameworks in use with AJAX

• Prototype.js
• R.A.D. AJAX
• Yahoo UI
• ASP.NET AJAX (former ATLAS)
• jQuery

The companies who offer AJAX development services also boast of several features:

• Cross Browser Support
•  Coding according to latest standards and W3C WCAG compatibility
•  Compliance to all regulations