WebAssembly expands from browsers to server-side microservices

WebAssembly is emerging as a technology with significant potential beyond the browser, particularly for server-side and cloud applications. While it is not intended to replace containers, it serves as an alternative or addition for packaging and distributing specific software components.

The ecosystem is currently in an early stage, with foundational specifications such as the WebAssembly System Interface (WASI), the WebAssembly Gateway Interface (WAGI), and the WebAssembly Component Model being developed.

Fermyon is a notable company in this space, providing tools to boost adoption on the server side. Their open-source framework, Spin, offers a suite including an SDK, runtime, and developer toolchain designed to help developers build microservices using WebAssembly.