The interactive nature of many web sites is due to the presence of an application layer and usually a data layer behind the website. Without these layers the site is merely a collection of web pages linked together. Many basic websites will still contain client-side application elements that control things like menus and simple forms, but the real magic happens when a server-side application controls what content and media are delivered to a visitor. There is literally an intelligent exchange of content and media between the visitor and the web site. The most common example of this is a search engine. A visitor submits a piece of text to the search engine, the search engine's application submits a query to it's database and the results are sent back to the visitor in a web page.

Many corporate information systems exist in this form either on the open Internet with an added security layer or on a closed network. The structure is the same and on the surface, the application takes the form of a website accessed with a standard web browser. One could say that a web application presents certain advantages over a static website but in reality, the two concepts can't be compared. A web application is simply a site that has some degree of intelligence allowing it to interact with its visitors.

Mindstream Media has been developing web applications since our inception. In fact, nearly all of our current projects, both private and public sites, present dynamic content compiled by a server-side application and retrieved from a relational database. Our tendency toward web applications is not because of familiarity, but because these sites possess distinct advantages for our clients. The most prominent advantages are scaleability and flexibility. By separating design, intelligence, and content, the effort to grow the scope of a site is significantly minimized. The approach also makes it possible to update the design, expand the database, add new functions, or even replicate the entire site for use elsewhere - all with minimal resources and effort.