ULC enables rapid development of Java-based, thin -client applications with sophisticated and highly interactive graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Moreover, ULC facilitates the streamlined distribution of applications in the Internet and Intranet. It is ideal for B2B applications and applications run by ASPs.

For the majority of thin client applications, HTML is good enough. Thin clients with a sophisticated rich user interface, however, are expensive to develop with HTML, and the result is still often not satisfactory. On the other hand, the use of applets forces the developers to pay specific attention to all aspects of functionality distribution between client and server. Thin clients developed in a heterogeneous environment involving HTML, Java applets, JavaScript, Plug-ins, and JSP increase development and maintenance costs and effort.

ULC provides a set of frameworks and tools that enables the development of thin client applications with a simple fat client programming model. On the server-side, ULC applications are deployed in a J2EE- compliant Web or EJB container. On the client, the applications require an installation or a dynamic download of the UI Engine, i.e., an application independent presentation client. Once installed, the UI Engine can display the UI of any ULC Application. The UI Engine can be executed on the client as an applet in a browser, using a JNLP client (e.g. Java Web Start), or as a standalone Java program. A user will hardly be able to distinguish a ULC application from a conventional fat client.

The ULC framework shields the developer from the complexities of distributed programming, protocols, and application servers. It is a non-proprietary, open standard based, 100% pure Java solution that can be easily extended to an organization's specific needs. ULC can also use various protocols between client and server, such as HTTP and HTTP(S), SSL, and IIOP, to meet security and firewall requirements.

In short, ULC enables:

• Transparent and administration-free Easy distribution and deployment of applications to a large number of clients.
• Centralized application maintenance and security by keeping the application code on the server.
• Rapid development of Intranet/Internet applications with complex GUIs while keeping the distribution aspects transparent for the developer.
• Optimized communication between client and server for operation over low bandwidth and high latency networks.

The latest release of ULC can be integrated into IBM WebSphere Studio development environment.