Growth of the Internet:

The use of websites has increased immeasurably over the last few years. Use of the internet by almost everybody in the country has meant that every entity has to have a website or risk withering away. Fortunately the business of constructing a website has become easier and cheaper at the same time. These days almost anybody with a PC can create a simple website with the tools built into their system, and host it in the ‘free’ webspace provided with their internet access account. The upshot of this is that there is no commercial future in the construction of a ‘here I am’ websites - but (as always) things have moved on.

Advanced websites:

It wasn’t long before people realised that websites could do more than shout ‘look at me’, and the ‘dynamic’ website had arrived. This was the core technology that allowed the revolution in online commerce to take place so fast. Now visitors to a website can make selections, have webpages taylor-made to their interests, buy things, book things and all the other functions that we have come to expect from the ‘web’.

And it’s not just the internet. Businesses have realised that by putting a webserver in their own network, and harnessing all this technology, they have a vastly more efficient means of collecting and/or disseminating information than ever before.

And it is this area that Hazmar has specialised.

The technologies:

Behind every dynamic website worthy of the name is a database. Hazmar has chosen MySQL, which has many advantages. It is the driving force behind 50% of the world’s websites. There is no charge for the server software itself, reducing the initial outlay to almost zero. It is optimised for high-speed serving of web pages. It is owned & developed by that Grand Old Man of the computer age - Sun Microsystems. Sun have an excellent record for stewardship of OpenSource software and, because of the OpenSource nature of the product, users are not beholden to any massive monopolistic corporation. It is, in short, ideal as the engine to power the web. If required, more user-friendly front-ends (such as Access and Excel) can be configured to retrieve data from the master database for desktop analyses.

Dynamic websites need a programming language to code the pages. The ideal programming language partner to MySQL is PHP, which is also OpenSource. This language is fast, powerful and efficient. As with MySQL there is no charge for the software or the developments tools. Similarly it does not lock the user into any one company’s financial honey pot. The use of OpenSource software takes many people outside their comfort zone - they would rather pay a substantial license fee and have something from one of the better known brands. Hoping (presumably) that they will get on-going support. Those of us who have been in the business for decades know better... It is, however, not the easiest language to learn, but the results are worth it. Have a look at some of the websites we have built and see for yourself!

Some websites we have built:

The Droitwich Archery website is mainly a static website, informing the visitor about the society & its activities. However, it does have some interesting dynamic components. There is a facility for members to submit their scores directly to the Club Records Officer, and the ability for him to upload the current Handicap table, which immediately becomes available for members to download. There is a similar facility for the Club Diary. The New / Events / For Sale pages are built on-the-fly from a central database maintained by the webmaster. The online shop automatically updates itself from a simple price list (actually an Excel worksheet) and integrates with PayPal’s Shopping Cart system.

P Hooper Designs wanted a website that stood out from the traditional “Titlebar & side menu” structure that has become the de-facto standard for commercial websites. The picture gallery is still under construction, but will use state-of-the-art facilities to maximise impact.

Russell Hyde just wanted the simplest possible website. That’s fine - we can do that! It still employs a bit of clever programming to allow the owner to easily upload his regular comments though.

Web hosting:

Hazmar are pleased to offer web hosting. The system is hosted by a major UK web hosting specialist, with all the usual facilities in place. The big advantage to you, the customer, is that Hazmar is familiar with the technical details required for setting up a dynamic website in this environment, thereby reducing the time spent developing your site.

Basic package:

Webspace, PHP scripting, email etc.

SME package:

As above, but with MySQL server.

Other packages to order - please enquire.