Presto uses standard and popular software for its core programming and database needs:

1. Presto is programmed in Cold Fusion MX 6.1 or 7.0 from Adobe.
   
   Cold Fusion, since 1996, has become one of the four top languages used for scripting web applications on the internet.  Its competitors are Java, PHP, and ASP. Cold Fusion comes bundled with a basic version of the Verity text search engine, which offers sophisticated document and database search tools that haven't been available on their own for a similar price.  As part of an ISP web hosting package Cold Fusion is usually an economical choice.  Adobe (previously Macromedia) has given Cold Fusion many enterprise features (the language itself is compiled into Java).  And like the other languages, it is supported by a large community of programmers that offer cheap or free add-on tools.  This translates into cost savings for all the custom projects clients may want to develope and integrate into a Presto installation.
   
   
2. For Presto's database content storage, a choice of either Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and above, or the open source MySQL 4.0 (www.mysql.com) database are available.
   
   Microsoft SQL server offers all the database backup, transaction system abilities and remote administration that are needed for more interactive or custom application websites.  It is often available at ISPs in conjunction with Cold Fusion, and in this context SQL server is usually more economical.
   
   MySQL offers many of the same benefits as Microsoft SQL server, although it may be less common to find it with Cold Fusion on a Microsoft Windows server.  It has become a wildly popular choice for database development within the open source community.
   
   We have used Microsoft Access in the past as a low cost database, but these days with search spiders hammering websites, MS Access is prone to drop requests here and there, so for this reason we have discontinued using it.  As well, MS Access does not have a backup system (this is left to ISP's to manage on a weekly or monthly basis) and does not support database "transactions".  As well, any non-Presto managed changes to the database often require the awkward downloading, changing, and uploading of the database.
   
   See Presto and Open Source Software for a basic cost analysis of these database options.  Technical information is available on the Database Support page.
   
   
3. For web hosting, Microsoft Windows IIS web server.  (We guarantee that it works under IIS - but any web server software that runs Cold Fusion should work, and we are certainly open to planning revisions to ensure compatibility).  Although Presto has the potential to run on Linux servers (since Cold Fusion can run on Linux with Apache, see www.cfdev.com/apache/apache2cfmx.cfm) it has not been tested in this context.

   We have installed Presto on a number of ISP's, but these are our favorites: www.crystaltech.com, and www.magma.ca. 

   Presto can also be installed directly on client web servers; www.cantest.com,  www.bccls.bc.ca, www.bht.com, and other installations have been set up this way.
   

4. Microsoft IE Browser v 5.5 and above, on a Windows PC, or Firefox on a PC or Mac.  Currently there are a few functions that a Mac user can't do which we are working on.  Firefox users must do drag-and-drop actions somewhat differently than their IE counterparts.