Over the past decade, the web has been embraced by millions of businesses as an economical network to communicate and exchange information with prospective clients. Along with businesses, this is also very popular among almost every individual using the internet for various purposes, be it a student, a patient, or a housewife. The web provides a mode for marketers to get to know what people visiting their sites are looking for and connecting with them in order to provide satisfactory services. The web is an exceptional sales channel for any type of organization be it schools, hospitals, businesses, etc.
Despite their numerous advantages, web applications also have many drawbacks like security concerns due to improper coding or very weak firewall protection. This gives way to hackers who gain access to databases containing sensitive data like credit card information, social security information, phone numbers, and even home addresses. A virus can be used to bring the entire online business down for minutes, hours, and days causing a huge loss. Businesses need extra security to protect critical personal information of customers in order to gain customer faith and loyalty. There are many limitations of web as well such incompatibility of web apps with native apps in many areas, limited access to smartphone hardware making simple tasks like saving photos more difficult, and same app may look different across different browsers confusing mainly the older generation, etc.
Rich Internet Application (RIA) is a web application offering pleasing experience that leads to user satisfaction and increases productivity. Using the broad reach of the internet, RIAs can be deployed across different browsers and devices. Typically, An RIA runs inside a web browser and thus does not require the hassle of installing software thus making it user friendly. It offers organization with cost-effective way to provide modern applications with real business benefits; Offer users a more engaging experience; and Increase customer loyalty and generate higher profits.
In this global business environment where customers’ demands are rising with an equally increasing difficulty to obtain brand loyalty, deep rooted customer engagement is crucial for an organization’s success and survival. RIAs help businesses interact with customers allowing them to engage. RIAs also allows businesses to integrate rich media which has its own benefit. RIAs not only enable better configurations, but also allow businesses to embed video and other contextual help content into application generating making it more interesting and attracting users.
Browsers with RIA web pages can be a powerful user interface for handling advanced data and applications. The RIAs would be a possible technique to view and manipulate the most data generated in clinical processes, which can achieve the primary functions of their existing viewing system, PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System). Both Digital and non-Digital data can be handled by RIAs. Medical data that are difficult to present using existing viewing systems can be easily done using RIAs. Similarly, clinicians can use browser as a distinctive interface for obtaining, processing, and presenting appropriately all the clinical data located in different departments and information systems. By broadening its accessibility, this software platform has the potential to transform telemedicine, clinical practice, medical education and information distribution particularly in rural areas, and to make patient-centric medical computing a reality. RIAs available on browsers permits communication between handheld devices and a hospital information systems for media streaming possible.
Similarly, in the field of financial services be it for school, business, or accounting services, RIAs provide the ability to access information. Customer satisfaction and loyalty is what every organization works towards. So, facilitating customers and providing services whenever they want is what keeps an organization afloat. With RIAs, customers can access their accounts and acquire every detail information they want is what keeps them satisfied. For example, if I were to access my school account, I will not be able to access my previous tuition statements let alone in detail, but RIAs can make detail viewing of the account possible. This is just a small example of the broader possibilities. Accounting information in details can be accessed as well as a patient can access his/her entire health history within minutes without going through the hassle of having to stay on hold for hours just to find out that you need to visit the hospital/facility in order to get the personal information.
RIAs can be used in many other fields. These are software that facilitates usage without using storage space. So, one can easily use RIAs on handheld devices without having to worry about the storage space getting full. It can be useful in the field of marketing as well. The more people see the more they get influenced to buy. So, this can be used as a useful tool in sales. Thus, RIA has many usage.

References: * What are Web Applications (Acunetix Web Applications What are They What of Them Comments) http://www.acunetix.com/websitesecurity/web-applications/ * What is Rich Internet Application (RIA)? – Definition from WhatIs.com (SearchSOA)
http://www.searchsoa.techtarget.com/definition/Rich-Internet-Application-RIA