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Why NT/IIS?

Familiar Technology

Windows NT is a more robust equivalent of Windows 95. Most Internet servers are Unix. This is logical as the Internet was developed using Unix technology. The problem is that most people (including technical people) aren't familiar with Unix. When IIS (Internet Information Server) was introduced on Windows NT, it allowed us to implement Internet technology using an operating system that most people understand (Windows). Many of the functions available to IIS use Windows technology. The scripting is familiar Visual Basic or Java. Also, you can put your database of products, customers, inventory, articles, etc. on the Internet using Access.

Access Database Publishing

Have you ever been to a website with tons of information that doesn't seem to get updated very often? This is because the website may have thousands of similar, yet unique pages that must be maintained manually.

With Unix, you have to convert your Access database to some other file format. Most people just write a program to "dump" their database static "html" pages. It seems much more logical to write "html" that just serves as formatting for the data in your database. This means that when your database changes, your website changes. Also, you are not limited to Access. It's just what most people use today. You can use any Windows database such as Dbase, Paradox, SQL Server, and many others. The best examples of publishing your Access database are as follows:

• Products/Orders - Publish an online catalog with products, types, and categories complete with descriptions, prices, discounts, and pictures. Allow customers to browse your products, click to order, and checkout leaving their firm order with their shipping information and credit-card number. Even if they don't order online, they will be well informed when they call and be ready to buy.
• Classifieds - Publish information for sale. Allow people to browse, search, and place ads. They can even leave an "agent" behind why looks through the ads and searches for matches and emails them when an ad is placed that matches their needs.
• Articles/Knowledge Base - Publish articles or technical information. Allow your customers to answer their own questions. The can search, print, even post questions.

These are just examples. There are many more possibilities with NT/IIS. It opens up a whole new way to create websites that is easier and more powerful than ever before.

Templates

One of the best things about Word, Excel, and Access is the templates that they come with. You can write a letter, calculate a mortgage, and create an orders database with a few mouse clicks. NT/IIS is no different. It comes with several examples that an easily be customized for your business. Most of the time, we create your website but these templates allow you to if you want. Also, products such as FrontPage and Interdev have their own set of templates and can make this process even easier with their tight integration with NT.

VBScript/JavaScript

Windows technology means Visual Basic (VBScript) or Java (JavaScript) instead of CGI and Perl. VBScript is that same as the macro language in Access, Word, Excel, and many other products. I don't know many CGI programmers and know no one who wants to learn. You can place VBScript commands in the middle of your HTML to create many advanced functions. These include an ad rotator, quote/tip of the day, dynamic web pages, and an intelligent website. All code runs on the server (unless you specify) so the user doesn't see your VBScript code. And the web pages they do receive are browser independent. This means your website will work on any browser such as AOL, IE, Netscape, etc. We just can't say how powerful this feature is.

Browser Independence

If you've ever been to a website that your browser wouldn't display, you can appreciate this feature. IIS can determine the capabilities of the browser and display web pages that utilize exactly what the browser is capable of. Old browsers see simple web pages. New browsers see active graphics, frames, scrolling marquees, and much more. If you put any VBScript in your website, it is run on the NT/IIS server and modifies the HTML before your customer's browser sees it. This ensures that they always see what they intended without errors and missing information.

NT Security

NT has very robust security. Level C2 by government standards (for what that's worth). You can specify certain areas of your website that everyone can see, certain ones that only "registered" customers can see, certain ones for employees, and some just for you. This is very powerful. Especially for field sales people or when you are traveling. Image access to your customers, orders, and messages from anywhere on earth.

As you can see NT/IIS is a very powerful combination for publishing information on the Internet. We think it's the best. By avoiding Unix, we can offer very powerful features that were difficult or impossible only last year. Also, by creating a server that is 100% Microsoft software, we can ensure compatibility, reliability, and robustness. Once you see the features that NT/IIS allow, we think you will agree that hosting your website on our server is the only way to go.