Many applications call for greater functionality than HTML, DHTML, and scripting languages can offer. Segments of applications need to access the operating system of the client machine while still maintaining an active connection to the Internet for data or additional services. Under such circumstances, developers can take advantage of the components and Internet services provided by Windows to build Internet-reliant applications. Unlike page-based applications that are run within the context of a browser, an Internet-reliant application is a full-fledged Windows executable program that has full access to the broad range of services provided by the Windows client. These applications generally use a combination of HTML, DHTML, scripting, and ActiveX controls to provide rich integration with the client system as well as full connectivity to remote services on the Internet.
Financial software suites such as Microsoft Money 99 represent this type of application. Users save local files that contain information about their stock accounts, which receive live updates when users are connected to the Internet. The bulk of the processing takes place on the client machine as various tables and charts are displayed using Windows services, while raw data is continually accessed over the Internet.