As a software designer I can tell you that E-Mail is uderused. Why not have emails with fields, calculation tools, interactive measurement elements.

You would think that developpers would leverage on people's knowledge of email tools and build applications that are more asynchronous in nature.

An email based application would be great. I have seen applications that send an email to the person who then have to go to the application to fill a few fields. Would be easier to make the emails the application.

Not sure if there are any good frameworks for doing this.