1. A method for presenting an application in a networked computer processing system having a plurality of client computers and a plurality of host computers, the method comprising: retrieving, in response to a request of a client computer, a content item having computer program code embedded therein, execution of the embedded computer program code establishing a communication connection to a host computer; sending operating environment information regarding the client computer from the client computer to the host computer; retrieving presentation information to present an application and content, the presentation information being based on the operating environment information and comprising at least one of instructions for rendering components of the application, default parameters and data values exhibited within the components, and application-specific business logic for processing input to the presented application; and presenting, at the client computer, the application and the content based upon the presentation information.