Caspio Bridge provides an AJAX-based database access interface to employees within the organization allowing them to create and publish database linked Web forms, reports, search screens, and applications without coding. Using Caspio Bridge, employees can define and manage their own database tables and use built-in wizards to create applications allowing for the Web based manipulation and query of information stored within those tables. An unlimited number of tables can be created for use by an unlimited number of users at all pricing levels.

The DB itself is based on MS SQL Server and hosted by the vendor (in-house versions of the product are also available for Enterprise deployments). To use and access the product, user's log into their accounts at the vendor's Web site, and copy/paste resulting code snippets into their own site pages. In addition to the ability to query and manage the data collected through the application (modify, sort, filter, find duplicates, etc.), users can also import or export data in formats including MS Access, CSV, text, or XML. A multi-user administration console is provided as are fine-grained access controls.

Physical features of the vendor's data center (owned by the vendor) include a security staff, palm-print id access, picture IDs, redundant power and backup climate control systems, firewalls, and restricted access to customer data. The DB servers themselves are clustered with mirroring and failover support, with weekly or daily data backups depending on the customer's service level.

Web applications themselves are built via wizard-based tools, with users creating individual "DataPages" (single DB interaction interfaces, such as a form submission and confirmation, or query/search with drillable results) that can be deployed as embedded widgets within their own site's pages or as links, frames, or IFrames. Available DataPages include Web forms, searches, reports, authentication, end user password recovery, mobile forms, and more. Multiple pages can be combined for more full featured applications. Notification and acknowledgment E-mail messaging is supported, as are password protection controls (Web used authentication) with record level security.

Other features include:

- Support for one-click localization conversion to English, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Greek, or Dutch.

- Access to a pre-made application library, including a Real Estate listing system, lead management system, classified ad system, and more

- XHTML-compatible output

- Support for programmatic access to data through SOAP Web services

- Plug-in for Microsoft Office allows for the access of online data from within Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Access, refreshed on-demand or automatically

- Support for SSL-accessed pages and data

Caspio Bridge is offered in Free (2 DataPages, weekly backup, two weeks of stored backups, and limited features); Standard (8$ per DataPage, in packages of 3, 5, 10, 25, 50, or 100 DataPages); Enterprise (7$ per DataPage in packages of 250, 500, 750, or 1,000 DataPages); or Corporate (12$ per DataPage in packages of 50 or 100 DataPages). All prices are per month. The Standard, Enterprise, and corporate flavors add support for daily backups, with the last two weeks accessible in Standard and Enterprise and the last 60 days accessible in Corporate. Other key differences include support for emergency 24/7 support and a dedicated representative in the Corporate version only, and support for multi-account management in the Enterprise version only.

New to the vendor's product suite is ExpressDB, a basic Web-DB implementation that allows end users to link their Web forms (such as surveys, contact, feedback, orders, etc.) to an online DB. With ExpressDB, the user signs up for an account and then uses a wizard-based Web tool that generates for them an appropriate form action tag for insertion into their existing forms; including Dreamweaver, Flash, PDF, or HTML forms. After inserting the generated action tag into their form, submissions from that form will be accumulated into their DB (with optional E-mail notification to the customer each time data is submitted). From their, the customer can login to their account to access and review the submitted data.

ExpressDB is offered in two basic flavors: The free version supports up to 100 form submissions per month (after this, form submissions are blocked) with weekly data backups, no support for E-mail notifications, and a mandatory confirmation page (after the form is submitted by the user) with a vendor supplied banner ad; while the Standard version is currently priced at $16.95/month and supports up to 1,000 form submissions a month with additional submissions beyond the 1,000 priced at two cents each. The Standard version offers E-mail notification capability, support for a default or user-defined custom confirmation page, and daily data backups. Both versions support unlimited forms, databases, and database storage (subject to the submission limitations, of course).

Trial versions are available of both Caspio Bridge and ExpressDB.

Visit the Caspio Web or ExpressDB Web sites for further information.