1. A computer configured to interface with multiple client programs, comprising: a first applet capable of being initiated by a browser-based application, the first applet comprising: (a) a socket server configured to perform actions comprising: (i) establishing a server socket on a port, (ii) receiving a connection request via the port from at least one of the multiple client programs stored on the computer, (iii) opening a socket connection on a different port for communicating with the at least one of the multiple client programs in response to the received connection request, wherein the at least one of the multiple client programs is a second applet that provides an interface between the browser-based application and the socket server, (iv) receiving a service request on the different port from the at least one of the multiple client programs after the socket connection is opened, wherein the service request has a string message format, and (v) outputting the received service request to a translation façade; (b) the translation facade configured to perform actions comprising: (i) receiving the service request outputted from the socket server, (ii) parsing the service request, thereby generating a parsed service request, if the service request complies with predetermined formatting rules, (iii) rejecting the service request if the service request does not comply with the predetermined formatting rules, and (iv) outputting the parsed service request if generated; and (c) workflow engine configured to perform actions comprising: (i) receiving the parsed service request from the translation façade, and (ii) processing the parsed service request.