Creating Do-It-Yourself Databases with Caspio
In these days of doing more with less, Caspio’s Bridge 6.0 gives do-it-yourselfers the tools to create their own enterprise databases and web applications.
The latest enhancements that were introduced to the Bridge offer users more Web 2.0 capabilities in a secure platform. Frank Zamani, founder, president, and CEO, says Caspio’s goal is to “empower business users to create databases, forms, and apps easily and without programming.” Caspio took software as a service (SaaS) to an all-new level with its platform as a service (PaaS) model. The programming part of the process is something the user doesn’t have to worry about. Customers can build applications through a point-and-click process for web forms, registration for classes, or signups for sweepstakes.
“When we started out in 2000, there weren’t any tools or programs for do-it-yourselfers,” says Zamani. “This usually created quite a backlog in the IT department,” so Zamani empowered the individuals to do the job, which has even succeeded in lowering development costs, he says. The result has been “better access and a richer experience for information seekers.” In fact, Caspio has powered more than 150,000 apps on Web sites for media, government agencies, and educational institutions, according to Zamani.
Caspio’s client base has been built up organically through its customers, which include Deloitte, Uno’s Restaurant, Borders, Whirlpool, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Newspapers have been especially ardent adopters, he says. The easy-to-use platform offers step-by-step instructions to guide users of any technical ability through the creation process. Ajax interactivity, cascading dropdowns, and list boxes provide granular filtering, adding as much or as little as needed. Other built-in options can streamline design and implementation: Files and images can be imported, web forms can easily be changed from one language to another with localization, and widgets can be implemented, along with integration with YouTube…
