7th International Workshop on Web-Oriented Software Technologies (IWWOST'08)

The increasing use of the Web as a software platform together with the advance of technology has given raise to new generations of Web Applications that become more sophisticated almost every year. For example, these applications allow ubiquitous web access from stationary and mobile computing platforms, they provide individuals and collectivities with personalized features, they support complex business processes, they are involved in organization-wide workflows, they exhibit advanced behaviors, they allows users to create virtual communities for sharing knowledge.

Facing to the ever growing number of users, usability and accessibility became a major requirement for the universal access of Web applications. Improvements on the Web technology have progressively changed the way users can interact with Web applications. Web 2.0 and Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) technologies have enabled the creation complex user interfaces which are getting closer to the interaction level one can find on traditional desktop applications. However, there is a lack of knowledge on how such as technologies affect the development process of complex and still usable Rich Internet Applications.

Since 2001, IWWOST has been a traditional forum to discuss Web oriented software technologies. The main focus of this edition is to exchange experiences, methods and tools for the development of Web applications supporting rich user interaction. From one hand, we are interested on the impact of Web 2.0 technologies on the design process of Web applications. On the other hand, we want to explore how such as technologies might increase the user experience and the usability of Web applications.