Hi HomerJ,

Unfortunately recommending whether or not you should or shouldn't use the web client, is something best left to the end user to decide (unless it is a matter of the software being issue and bug ridden to the point of causing data corruption or loss of productivity within the system, which is not the case with the web client currently that we have seen and experienced). The best I can provide for you are some known pros and cons regarding use of the web client and then it is up to each organization to decide whether or not they choose to utilize it., but it is essentially the system administrators, project managers (as it can be enabled on project by project basis), and managers decisions on whether they wish to have their users utilize it or not.

Some of the pros are:
1) web client is browser agnostic, meaning that basically any modern browser is able to use ALM now as it limits the Internet Explorer (IE) limitation of the desktop client.
2) Limited functionlaity so easier to control available actions of users
3) Able to utilize any operating system (OS) as it doesn't rely on the active x components of only windows
4) Customizable (but needs to be done through its own interface)

Some of the cons are:
1) Limited functionality (each browser only supports certain functions and those are changed with each version/ patch release and there are no documents stating which functions are supported in whioch browsers so if using Chrome the users will get different functionality than if using IE or Safari)
2) Customizable (this makes both lists as it can't utilize custom work flow so process that are kicked off, say on step failure, immediately open new defect screen, can't be accomplished through the web client cusotmization and the customization currently available is very limited).
3) Not as easily limited through groups and permission as with the desltop client.
4) removed in latest version by HP and an entire rewrite is in progress (rumor is that the desktop client may be merging with this so the desktop client will be browser and OS agnostic but that is only rumor at this time.
5) different interface than the desktop client so requires training and refamiliarization for the users (it has an entirely different look and feel and some users may require extra training to be able to do their job the same as in the desktop client, and this can consume time and resources)
6) Uses full license whether full functionality is available to the users or not.

It seems that fewer clients are utilizing the web client because of the limitations it offers currently. These are the observations seen and feedback received. It is your decision to utilize it or not and not smething I am at liberty to recommend either way (especially not knowing the individual and organizational needs). You will need to decide based upon your needs within the organization. Lots of the inquiries about the web client are done because of the portability afforded. The organizations have many different user base systems within the organization ranging from linux to MAC OS and would like for those client to be productive in their native operating system and that is their sole reason for pursuing this option (in fact when fully implemented it should be portable to mobile devices as well).

I hope this helps you in your decisions, but as I stated before this is your organizational decsion and I can not recommend whether or not your organization should or shouldn't utilize the web client, that is something you will decide based upon facts presented above and the needs of the end users.

Hope this helps in your decision making process.

Dan

I would recommend against using it, in v12.20, for one very simple reason.

The reason I make this recommendation is that in v12.50 the web client has been removed. HPE has said during HP Discover that they plan to release a new and completely different web client in some future version, beyond v12.50.

If you users get used to the web client in v12.20, you can't upgrade to v12.50 unless you are willing to take that web client away from them. And then in next version the web client will be all new, so the time your users spent with it in 12.20 will be useless.