(smärt klī´&nt) (n.) An Internet-connected device that allows the user's localapplications to interact with server-based applications through the use of Web services. For example, a smart client running a word processing application can interface with a remotedatabase over the Internet in order to collect data from the database to be used in the word processing document. Smart clients are distinguished by key characteristics:
They support work offline – smart clients can work with data even when they are not connected to the Internet (which distinguishes them from browser-based applications, which do not work when the device is not connected to the Internet);
Smart client applications have the ability to be deployed and updated in real time over the network from a centralized server;
Smart client applications support multiple platforms and languages because they are built on Web services;
Smart Client Application Model and the .NET Framework 1.1 This white paper provides an overview of the .NET Framework smart client application model, explaining how it works from a high-level perspective, and elaborating on how this architecture compares with the browser-based model.
