Why are companies still using Windows Forms and WPF applications instead of web applications?
Windows applications have the best user interface and features, but they are available to the smallest audience, while web applications have the most limited user interface features, but they are available to the broadest audience.
It's up to the companies to decide between web and Windows applications that they must develop for their growth...
Some possible reasons:
- Desktop applications are easily made available offline (obviously this is changing with new HTML5 stuff)
- Some things are just easier in desktop applications (think complex 3D visualisations, granted you could write some Flash to do some of this stuff)
- You may need to access local files / system information / other applications that are not possible from a web application
- You can use the local processing power more effectively with native code than via JavaScript (again, changing as browers become better)
- The scope of skills required for desktop applications is generally less than the web (think C# vs HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Flash, HTTP, etc.) so it may suit the development resources available
Companies are still using Windows Forms because it allows communication with Windows on a lower level than a web application.
WPF also allows greater data binding and has easier tools to handle complex tasks.