Time and Attendance software desktop vs. web versions

If you are looking for Time and Attendance application for your organization, you will find that a program can be designed as a desktop or as web application.  There are several advantages and disadvantages in each.

Web version of Time and Attendance software has to be installed on a web server (this can be a regular computer running IIS or an advanced, dedicated web server).  The program is installed on a single computer and everyone has access to it using web browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox.  One of the advantages of having a single installation is that it is easy to upgrade since you only have to worry about one computer.  Another advantage is that, with proper setup, you can access your Time and Attendance application from anywhere with internet access, but you will have to make sure that your web server is well protected.  Generally, developing web applications is more complicated, so you might find it more expensive than the desktop version of the same program.

Desktop version of Time and Attendance software has to be installed on every computer.  If you only need a single station, than this would be a superior setup: this Time and Attendance application will work much faster since database and the program itself are installed on the same computer.  If you need to install a Time and Attendance software of several computers, then it gets a bit more complicated.  You have to make sure that all users with the Time and Attendance software have proper permission to connect to the same shared database.  Another minor issue is that if you are upgrading your Time and Attendance application, then you must upgrade all computers and make sure that no one is using the program on their computer while you are upgrading all others.

When you shop for Time and Attendance software, you might find that desktop application are much more user friendly; the reason being is that desktop technologies are much older and hence have more capabilities.  However, web development is really on the rise these days and many functionalities are getting closer and closer to the desktop applications.