A Next-Generation Spreadsheet Program

Resolver Systems, a London-based software company, has recently released v.1 of Resolver One, a web-enabled spreadsheet program. The base package allows beginning users to use it like a common spreadsheet while allowing advanced users to extend it with Python. Up to this point, it offers about the same functionality as OpenOffice.org's spreadsheet program -- which is also extensible with Python.

But the similarities stop when one combines Resolver One with the Resolver One Web Server. With the web server one can deploy spreadsheets as web applications, a la GoogleDocs and more. In fact, Resolver One is also compatible with Google's spreadsheet application.

This represents an excellent innovation and points to what is likely to be the future of much software development. As electronic media has yet to displace printed media fully (and probably won't for some time), so it is doubtful that web-only applications will displace desktop applications completely for some time. Resolver's spreadsheet suite points to what seems the synergistic, hybrid future of both desktop applications as well as web apps. Of course, with that combination, the security issues become synergistic, as well.