Web-based applications are accessible through a security portal on the Internet. All that is needed to run these programs is a Web browser and a license to use it. With traditional software products (heavy apps), the church actually owns the information and stores the information at their church or on their computer or server. With a Web-based application, the company stores the information for you at a secure location and then protects the data that gets sent back and forth between their network and your computer, using the Internet. To simplify, you can either have your own IT guys manage your information in house (heavy app.), or you can outsource it to someone else (Web-based).

There are positives and negatives to each side of the software coin. The decision of which type of software to use usually comes down to a preference of having complete control of your data with a heavy app. versus having access to your data from anywhere with an Internet connection.

Each type of software provides things that the other doesn’t. For instance, heavy applications have an easier time creating an accounting package than do Web-based applications. They also can perform functions quicker at times and are typically preferred for things such as children’s check-in. On the other side, Web-based software companies are constantly upgrading and updating the product, but without creating a hassle for the user. Updates and new features are typically included with the license and are usually implemented without the users having to do anything on their end. They also are compatible with most, if not all, types of operating systems, such as Mac, Linux and Windows. Again, the issue will come down to preference, but the trend in the software world is a movement to Web-based applications.

What about value? How does someone know they’re getting the most for the money? This is a question that surely everyone in ministry has asked when considering a software program for their churches...