OpenVPMS is built on Web technologies. That is, it uses the very same technologies that power many popular websites. This has several advantages:

• Continued support of these tools due to the broad reach they have gained in the industry.
• Accessibility through standardized means -- the web browser.
• Scalability and robustness.
• Availability of documentation, libraries, and 3rd party support.
• Centralization for upgradability, data management, etc...

There are some disadvantages to web based technologies as well:

• The web is "stateless".
• Graphics are more difficult.

If you're not sure what that all means, don't worry about it. The trade-off is a good one.

In order to get started with OpenVPMS, it's useful to bear this in mind. Sometimes the user might think all the work being done is on the computer right in front of them. It's not the case here. All the work happens on a single server machine.

The intent of this book is not to describe, in gory detail, all the technologies behind OpenVPMS, but instead, to give the every day user a good guide in the usage of the system. 

 Takeaway: All work done on the system is through a web browser.