WebAssembly (Wasm) is in the process of becoming a disruptive technology in modern software development. Born out of a need to support high performance in the web browser, WebAssembly is now going way beyond the scope of the browser, We see it transforming how developers look at cross-platform, secure, and efficient app development.
What Is WebAssembly?
WebAssembly is an abstract instruction set that we put forward as a target for compilation from high-level languages like C, C++, and Rust. It is designed to run at very close to native speed, which at the same time preserves the web’s portability. Unlike JavaScript, which is interpreted, Wasm is a compiled language that sees in its execution speed a great improvement, and also we see very consistent performance across platforms.
Breaking the Browser Barrier
WebAssembly was at first designed to host complex applications within browsers, for example, video editing tools, 3D games, or CAD software, but its lightweight and speed have made it a hit in a wider range of settings. Today, we see developers using WebAssembly out of the browser in things like server-side computing, cloud native apps, IoT devices, and edge computing.
In terms of what we see, great value is in serverless settings, where speed, security, and portability are key. We see Wasm modules, which break from the traditional containers in that they may almost instantly start up and are also very light in resources, which in turn makes them a very good fit for microservices and ephemeral workloads.
Performance and Portability Combined
Wasm’s greatest benefit is that it can achieve very similar performance to native code without which in turn means that Wasm is not tied to a particular OS or device architecture. Also, this cross-platform feature means a Wasm module that is developed once will run the same in any browser, on any desktop, server, or in an embedded device. That, in turn what we see is a great simplification of the development process and a reduction in the time and cost of maintaining separate code bases for each platform.
Security by Design
Security is a key feature of WebAssembly. We designed the platform to have a sandbox, which means Wasm modules run in isolation from the host system. This architecture, which also separates Wasm from the host OS, reduces the attack surface, which in turn makes applications more resistant to issues like buffer overflows and arbitrary code execution. In industries that value trust and compliance, which include finance, health care, and defense, this secure model is very much in play.
Developer Ecosystem and Tooling
The development of the WebAssembly ecosystem is also what is behind its growth. We see in this that tools such as Wasmtime, WasmEdge, and Fastly’s Computer Edge provide very good platforms for running Wasm outside of the browser. Also, we have major tech companies like Microsoft, Mozilla, and Intel, which are into WebAssembly via the Bytecode Alliance, which is a cooperative effort to create secure-by-design software bases.
Also in the mix, we see that languages like Rust, which compile to WebAssembly, are growing in popularity with developers for what they bring to the table in terms of safety and performance. This is, in turn, which is also fueling the integration of Wasm into the everyday app development processes.
Looking Ahead
WebAssembly’s future looks bright. In what is an ongoing push to add features such as multithreading, garbage collection, and interface types, we see Wasm grow in its ability to handle complex workloads. Also, as edge computing and decentralized applications grow in popularity, WebAssembly steps forward as a great solution for very fast, secure, and portable code that runs at all levels of the tech stack.
