I just built a fully functional e-commerce Web site, and I didn't have to acquire a Web development program to do it. In fact, I didn't use any software residing on my computer at all. Instead, I built the whole thing online at SiteMatic.com.

Sure, my new site is simple-it doesn't have the bells and whistles I could have added by hand or with a Web-design program such as Microsoft FrontPage. But it's an interesting example of a trend that promises to change the way people use and think about software. Rather than existing as products, software is becoming a service. Instead of purchasing application programs, people are accessing what they need over the Internet. Renting, not buying.