By comparison, Domino provides a high-level visual development environment allowing developers to create Web applications quickly and easily. In addition to server-side scripting, dynamic content creation, data-driven Web pages, content separated from business logic, high-level application constructs and, an approachable environment that doesn't require manual compilation, Domino has several advantages over ASP technology particularly when creating applications requiring collaboration, workflow, or need to model business processes.

• Security. Domino has an enormous advantage in providing security within an application. After a user has been authenticated, through SSL or basic authentication, Domino manages the user's session and can secure application elements down to a field of information. Granular access control lists define seven levels of control for an application. Additionally, users can be assigned a specific role within an application. This not only determines what can be accessed, but also which actions can be perform by an individual or group of users. Security within ASP applications is dependent upon several different security models: NT, IIS and any backend system the application may be using. Access to specific files or directories can be restricted, but there is no granular access control within a page nor roles within an application. ASP backends like Exchange also lack the security capabilities of Domino. So even if the necessary code is written for a collaborative application, Exchange will be unable to provide document level or field level access control.

• Dynamic, Hierarchical Views. The dynamic nature of information within workflow applications requires dynamic, hierarchical views of documents and pages. Domino views are created with high-level, visual development tools that do not require code to be written. Once a developer defines which documents are to be part of a view, Domino manages the view by automatically indexing it and keeping track of which documents belong in the view. View creation can be augmented with logic if necessary. In ASP applications, views are coded using the Content Linking Object to manually maintain a file of URLs, or coded through Active Server Component queries to backend systems.

• Scheduled Agents. Scheduled agents are needed to process information in absence of a user-initiated event. Domino's agent technology is flexible enough to be associated with either user initiated events, or events scheduled to execute at pre-determined time intervals. IIS and ASP provide no such mechanism limiting their workflow capabilities. In order to execute any logic on a scheduled basis, Microsoft Web application developers must leave the IIS/ASP environment to create and maintain a script outside of the Web application on an Exchange 5.5 server.

• Content Structure and Integrated Object Store. ASP applications are essentially page-based, consisting of dozens or hundreds of files in directories residing in the file system. IIS provides no integrated storage mechanism for Web applications outside of the file system. Any application needing storage of user supplied information requires a new database to be created outside the IIS/ASP environment, and accessed through script and Active Server Components. Domino's form-based applications reside in a structured object store with organized content and indexing attributes. Its integrated object store is optimized for storage and management of the unstructured information typical of Web applications.

• Replication, storage and management of design elements. ASP applications are a collection of loosely related files stored in directories in the file system. These files contain a combination of HTML content, layout, client-side script (such as JavaScript), and server-side script. There is no real means for managing the application. Distribution of applications to multiple servers is a file system copy operation. By comparison, Domino stores all application design elements in a single, structured repository. Domino's forms-based metaphor separates the application layout and logic from its information, which is stored in self-describing documents. The design of an application is managed through templates which store all design elements (forms, views, agents etc.). Applications are distributed through Domino's replication technology, and updates are automatically applied to an application during a scheduled design update process. Templates provide the unique capability of being able to maintain multiple applications: a single template can provide a common design framework for several applications that are re-used within a company, such as departmental or regional applications.

• Integrated Core Services: Messaging, Directory, Replication, Security. IIS and ASP do not provide core infrastructure services for applications. These services must be installed and managed separately. Developers access to these services by scripting Active Server Components, if available. Core application services are part of the integrated infrastructure provided by Domino. These services are consistent and accessible across all types of Domino applications: Unlike the different access models, security models, replication mechanisms and administration functions needed to provide the same level of service to ASP applications. High-level access to Domino services is provided point-and-click dialogues and the Notes formula language, in addition to script level object interfaces. Domino's application development environment is flexible enough to allow existing infrastructure services to be utilized if required.

• Rapid Application Development. Domino's high-level application constructs, easy access to core services, and code-by-exception metaphor, allow developers to be responsive to demanding business needs because their time is spent solving the business problem rather than building low-level application code. ASP applications are developed with a code-by-default paradigm. All applications start with script, and typically require functionality provided by custom Active Server Components. Although Microsoft makes extensive use of wizards to generate script for common functions (e.g. database connections), customizing anything - including code generated by wizards - requires script experience and knowledge of the specific Active Server Component. By comparison, Domino combines several high-level application constructs (subforms, forms, views, agents, etc.) with flexible logic creation: Logic can be created with high-level methods such as a point-and-click dialogue interfaces to simple commands, or the easy to learn Notes formula language. When these high-level application constructs and logic creation tools become restrictive, script, Java, JavaBeans or ActiveX components can be used to build more sophisticated applications. Applications are managed through templates and distributed through replication. Domino applications can be quickly assembled, then modified and reused by others, even by those without the same level of expertise as the original application developer.

• Platform Independence. IIS and ASP are available only on Windows NT operating systems. Domino, and Domino applications, run on a variety of platforms allowing the business or scalability requirements, not the vendor, to dictate the application platform. Domino does this without losing integration with Microsoft specific technologies such as NT, ActiveX, ODBC, MAPI etc.