Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) means many things to many people. However, one thing is certain: To users it implies a higher level of functionality and an improved experience. To the developer, another certainty follows: More work. The only question is how much work and to what end. There are at least three separate tracks to consider: Communications and messaging, user interface components, and client side scripting. Since in the Ajax world the server no longer sends down html to the browser, your developers need to agree on a message format. The user’s expectations of a dynamic UI are high. They want a desktop experience and Web simplicity. You will need to develop or obtain components to meet many requirements: Legacy integration, micro-content, predictive fetch, drill down, visual effects, specialized and generic UI widgets.