title: Accessing local devices in Point of Sale web application
body: <p>I am building a web application, not hosted by the client but on the cloud somewhere, probably azure. It will need the ability to access some local devices such as a receipt printer or cash draw from where they run it. Via a browser this is obviously not possible.</p>
  
  <p>I was thinking of creating a service that they can install locally on their PC that listens to a web service and when it gets a message can perform the tasks such as opening the cash draw. </p>
  
  <p>Is this how people have done similar things in the past? Are there other methods? What technologies do you recommend as I plan on the local service being able to be run on either PC or Mac with minimum fuss. I was considering either Flex or Mono (the app was written in ASP.NET), any other suggestions?</p>