Progressive Web Apps – or PWAs – are websites that you can run as apps on your computer, phone and tablet. They look and work exactly like a normal app, but there’s nothing to install – they run in their own browser-like window. Crucially, they’re not dependent on an internet connection, so they work offline too.

What’s the benefit?

PWAs are potentially safer than normal apps and programs because they don’t need to be installed on your device – thereby eradicating the risk of accidentally downloading malware. They also take up less storage space, because most of the app’s data is stored on a server rather than on your PC, phone or tablet. You never need to manually update a PWA – this is done automatically by the app’s developer. And they always work the same way, regardless of the operating system or type of device you’re using. So, you could use the same apps on your Android phone, Windows PC, iPad, or any other device that supports them.

How do they work?

The idea behind web apps isn’t new. Apple’s iPhone used them extensively when it first launched. The ‘progressive’ part refers to newer web technologies they use to deliver a smooth, safe, more app-like experience. The three main technologies involved are Cache API, Service Workers (which caches data to allow the apps to work offline) and Web App Manifest (which stores other data about the app, such as its settings). HTTPS encryption, meanwhile, ensures that connections can’t be intercepted.

Offline Wikipedia is one of the PWAs you can now use

In practice, when you use a PWA, you shouldn’t notice any difference compared with a normal app. You launch it by clicking or tapping a shortcut on your home screen or PC desktop. It then runs in its own window, and works as if it were installed on your device, with no delay, even if you have a weak internet connection (or if you’re offline). PWAs can provide notifications and carry out other background tasks, just like standard apps currently do.

What devices can I use them on?

You can already run PWAs on many current Android devices. Try them by going to pwa.rocks via Chrome on an Android phone or tablet and tapping one of the PWAs featured there, such as Offline Wikipedia, Flipboard and the mouth-watering Progressive Beer («the ultimate guide to beer all around the world»).

Once the web page loads, tap the menu button (three dots), select ‘Add to Home screen’, then tap Add in the message that pops up – you should now find a shortcut to the PWA version of the site on your Home screen.

What about on my computer?

Not yet, but you shouldn’t have long to wait. Microsoft believes that «PWAs are key to the web’s future», announcing last month (www.snipca.com/27088) that you’ll soon be able to run them in Windows 10 – available via the Windows Store. This may arrive as part of the Spring Creators Update, due in a few weeks. Apple is lagging a bit behind, though it recently added to its Safari browser support for some of the web technologies required to run PWAs. Many experts took this as a sign that the company is working on iPad and iPhone support too.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and ConsenSys have come together to provide a speedy blockchain template for enterprises, running it on ConsenSys’s Ethereum-based blockcgain platform.

ConsenSys’s Kaleido Blockchain Business Cloud platform aims to allow businesses to use blockchain without the need to start one from scratch.

Ethereum and ConsenSys co-founder, Joseph Lubin, said that the collaboration with AWS marks a turning point for Ethereum and for blockchain technology.

«This is a heavy-duty, full-stack way of getting the company into blockchain solutions,» he said.

«We have been on a mission to accelerate the adoption of Ethereum and all the benefits that decentralisation can bring. We believe Kaleido will become a de-facto standard and a global blockchain platform for business.»

AWS already announced its own blockchain-as-a-service last month, joining the likes of IBM, Accenture, JP Morgan, HSBC and even Facebook that are exploring uses cases for blockchain, which was originally designed to support the cryptocurrency Bitcoin.

Consensys said the Kaleido platform is different, however, in that it provides the underlying technology that records transactions on a public, distributed ledger, but also allows enterprises to customise it to their specific needs.

«We assembled a team to build a platform that pulls together – in a simple, cohesive, and unified way – the right experiences and tools,» said Steve Cerveny, Consensys’s enterprise lead and founder of the platform.

«We knew we needed to design a platform from the business problems down, since that is where the enduring problems are that companies face in the blockchain space.»

Consensys claimed Kaleido is the first example of a «dual mode» use of Ethereum that allows private blockchains to link to public blockchains – essentially recording private transactions on them to achieve more transparency.

The platform will go on AWS Marketplace despite recent research from Gartner that highlighted a lack of interest in the technology from CIOs, with only 1% of organisations having fully deployed a form of it.

In its 2018 CIO survey, the research firm revealed that only 8% of organisations had looked at short-term plans to implement or experiment with the technology and 34% having expressed no interest at all.

However, there are use cases for the technology in the financial sector and supply chains, and last month IBM demonstrated how the digitally distributed ledger tech could be used to track the jewellery industry’s supply chains.

Picture: Shutterstock 

Yesterday played host to the fifth annual UK Cloud Awards, brought to you by Cloud Proand the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF), where the creme de la creme of the industry gathered at London’s Counrt Hall to celebrate and recognise collective and individual cloud achievements.

Last night’s ceremony, which was supported by headline sponsor Ingram Micro, rewarded the best cloud providers, products and projects from the past year, as decided by an expert panel of independent judges – led by chief judge Frank Bennett.

Margot James, the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, was in attendance at the awards, which received hundreds of submissions, with just 18 walking home with prizes on the night.

«In 2016 the digital sectors contributed £116bn to our economy and we’re very keen to continue the upward trajectory. By working closely with the private sector, we intend to increase this contribution to £200bn by 2025 – and I think that’s a target that we can bust,» James said.

«You, the cloud computing sector, are going from strength to strength. As companies across the country continue to adopt cloud-based services into their businesses at the rate they are doing, I see a great future for you all. Your technology allows SMEs to leverage technology and compete globally. You are providing a leapfrog technology. Your services are not only a catalyst in our country, they can be a catalyst in others, especially developing countries. So, there are great export opportunities for UK cloud service providers the world over. I wish you every success in exploiting those opportunities.»

The winners of the UK Cloud Awards 2018 are as follows:

BEST IN CLASS PRODUCTS

Security Solution of the Year
Verify by Aspect Software

Storage Solution of the Year Rubrik

Collaboration Solution of the Year Freshdesk

Business Continuity Solution of the Year iland Secure DRaaS by iland

Most Innovative Enterprise Product iPortalis Control Portal

Most Innovative SMB Product Advanced Voice Services by Natterbox

Unified Communications Product of the Year Advanced Voice Services by Natterbox

Fintech Solution of the Year Mambu

Cloud Platform Solution of the Year Cloud Protection Manager by N2W Software

BEST DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROJECTS

Best Public Sector Project Health and Social Care digital meal planning with Kafoodle Kare

Best Private Sector Project (SMB) Stephen James Group supported by Charterhouse Voice Data

Best Private Sector Project (Enterprise)Most Innovative Emerging Technology
Project Freq by Amido

BEST IN CLASS CLOUD PROVIDERS

Best G-Cloud Public Sector Provider UKCloud Ltd

Best Cloud Service Provider (CSP) Sesui Ltd

Best Cloud Managed Service Provider (MSP) Ensonodiv

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Cloud Visionary of the Year Apay Obang-Oyway, Ingram Micro (awarded Honorary CIF Membership)

Cloud Entrepreneur of the Year Mitchell Feldman, RedPixie

«The UK Cloud Awards have had a fantastic year and it is clear from the quality and number of submissions we received that this is an incredibly exciting time to be in the industry,» said Alex Hilton, CIF CEO.

«The standard of entries we’ve seen this year has been so high that making the shortlist is an achievement in itself and deserves to be recognised. However, there can of course only be one winner in each category so I’d like to offer my congratulations to everyone that took home accolades on the night.»

Paul Franklin, publisher of Cloud Pro and IT Pro, added: «These awards wouldn’t be possible without the support from the industry and I would like to offer a special thanks to our headline sponsor Ingram Micro, as well iland and T-Systems, for helping to make the event a success. We pride ourselves on the impartiality and thoroughness of our judging process, which we believe is one of the reasons the UK Cloud Awards have struck a chord with the industry. We fully expect to repeat the success of this year’s awards next year, so watch this space!»

Kaspersky will relocate some of its infrastructure in Moscow to Switzerland and open a Swiss data centre to address concerns that its software is being used by the Kremlin to gather intelligence.

The Moscow-based anti-virus company announced it is moving its data storage and processing facilities for users in Europe, North America, Singapore, Australia, Japan and South Korea to Zurich towards the end of 2019.

The cyber security company is also opening a transparency centre to enable international regulators to review products and an independent third-party organisation will be established to also review its new processes. 

The move is a direct response to growing concerns from Western nations over mass hostile cyber activity being carried out by Kremlin-backed Russian hackers and that Kaspersky could be linked to them. 

Kaspersky has denied that Russian intelligence services have any access to its user’s data, but the company is concerned with the potential loss of trust posed by the allegations.

«The world is changing and changing really fast. The world in which we worked two or three years ago is different,» said Anton Shingarev, vice president of public affairs at Kaspersky Lab.

«The company needs to address that. The allegations we faced are wrong and there is no evidence. Still the allegations are there. We need to show customers we are taking them seriously and address them.»

At the end of 2017 the US government signed into law a government-wide ban on Kaspersky Lab software after months of suspicion the Russian-based cybersecurity company could spy on other countries through its products.

Twitter also banned Kaspersky from advertising on its platform based on US government’s allegations.

On Monday the Dutch government also moved to phase out Kaspersky anti-virus software for precautionary measures.

In a letter to parliament, Justice Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus said the decision was made because the Russian Government had an «offensive cyber programme that targets among others the Netherlands and Dutch interests».

Image credit: Shutterstock