Why ColdFusion?

It's all about the resources and the elegant simplicity. There are five main factors to evaluating the use of any of technology: speed, features, open source capabilities, security, and cost. When compared against other technologies like PHP, ASP or JSP, ColdFusion hits the mark across the board.

What is ColdFusion?

ColdFusion is both an application server and a programming language. Most developers do not distinguish the two; they install the application server and use the language to write the applications that run off the server. ColdFusion is currenly owned by Adobe which makes it integrate seamlessly with other dominating technologies like Flash, PDF and Flex. Adobe is also moving forward with the hybrid platform called AIR, which integrates the Web with the desktop.

Age v. Maturity

There is a common misconception that ColdFusion is a dying language. The truth is, ColdFusion was launched in 1995 and is to be considered the most mature language. It is now up to version 9 and is better than ever. ColdFusion is a viable technology that can save you both time and money.

Time for a change?

Have you been told to abandon your ColdFusion web site? Your company has made a strategic decision to build its web site on an incredibly powerful technology. To abandon it would not only be foolish, but could end up costing you more money in the long run. There is no feature we can't write into an existing system and of course keeping your existing system is cheaper than throwing it out and starting from scratch.

Who uses ColdFusion?

Approximately 75% of Fortune 100 companies, as well as:
Federal Reserve Bank
National Security Agency
Bank of America
US Dept of State
Hasbro Toys
QuickBooks Online Edition
CARFAX
... just to name a few

Speed

There's 2 ways to look at speed : Development Time and Speed of Load

In terms of Development Time, consider this... If you pay your programmer at an hourly rate, why would you want to pay for them to write 50 lines of code for something that can actually be done in 5?

As for Speed of Load or how fast ColdFusion functions... ColdFusion drives greater levels of performance and speed without the need to buy any additional hardware to help cope with any extra workload. It supports heightened levels of interaction, ideal for today's multi-channel environment. It is not susceptible to memory leaks like ASP. ColdFusion sites also outperform on a practical level, enhancing workflows and processes.

Features

We have yet to find anything that PHP, ASP, or JSP can do that ColdFusion can not. But the biggest key is that ColdFusion has all of the tools right in it's own back pocket. Out of the box, no other language has as many cool features such as business graphing, full-text search, pdf generation, flash integration, RIA development, and more. (Pssst! PHP and ASP require help from third party tools for these features, which also translates into more $)

Open Standards

ColdFusion is not proprietary and boasts open integration with databases, emailing, directories, J2EE, .Net, XML and more. In a single sentence: ColdFusion plays very nicely with others in the sandbox.

Security

Did we mention that the Federal Reserve Bank, the National Security Agency and the US Senate all built their current web sites with ColdFusion? Not to mention approximately 75% of Fortune 100 companies.

Cost

Is ColdFusion Free? No.
Are PHP and ASP Free? Yes.
Can PHP and ASP do what ColdFusion can do? No.
Like they always say, "You get what you pay for."
If another developer is telling you to abandon your existing ColdFusion web site for another technology, remember:
- There's nothing that other technologies can do that ColdFusion can't do.
- ColdFusion performs better in terms of speed, features, open source capabilities, security, and cost.