Application Hosting | The new face of IT

Recession has drastically altered the IT market scenario. IT organization’s budgets are shrinking world over. In order for the economies to recover and get back in shape, enterprises are looking for better and cost effective ways to move forward. This dire need gave birth to the hosted web applications which continue to accelerate in growth and demand even today. Enterprises are under a lot of pressure to deliver promising results and grow in terms of business and not just technology. Nothing has transformed the face of IT more than web hosting. Hosting services and applications like application hosting, VOIP PBX hosting and hosted technical support is the new emerging face of IT world. To cope up with this changing technological trend, IT companies are embracing the outstanding benefits of cloud hosting services to empower their infrastructure and management. These are the most popular trends in the coming 5 years: • Data management- Internet and cloud hosting has shrunken the world. The world is available at a click. Enterprises are now able to integrate data and information in real time with cloud hosting services. The anytime, anywhere accessibility in a multi-user environment relieves employees from constraints boosting business growth and productivity. Various applications can be hosted together like Unified Communications giving a single access point to users giving them unmatched cell phone like mobility. • Increased business focus- Hosting applications over the web reduces the need of investing in expensive infrastructure and installation expenses. It eliminates the need of hiring expert technical staff to run and monitor your hardware and software, plus, there are no costly upgrades. By going for hosting services the organizations can focus more on their core business for optimized growth and handling. • Anytime, anywhere connectivity- Hosted web applications and services give real time connectivity among remote users, making them the ideal choice for enterprises having multiple office branches and employees on the go. All you need is a computer and an internet connection to access data and functionalities all the time. Employees can work from homes and office giving them seamless integration and freedom that enhances business productivity. • Premise based systems a thing of the past- Business communication has been revolutionized with the introduction of hosted VOIP PBX systems. All the PBX features and facilities are available at cheaper prices along with a vast array of advanced digital calling features to highlight business image and sound as a Fortune 5000 enterprise. SMBs are gradually moving towards hosted PBX systems to reduce the total cost of ownership and cut town telecommunication bills to 90%. According to the market research, the demand for hosted VOIP PBX systems will cross 3.5 billion by the year 2015. • Outsourcing support services- Cost saving is as important as money making in businesses. Business enterprises have limited finances and resources. Instead of investing heavily on trained IT personnel to manage their support services they are getting them outsourced from a third party. This minimizes manpower requirement and results in significant cost savings. Technical issues are not likely to occur everyday. By getting support services outsourced the need to hire regular technical professionals is eliminated. • Reduced start up time- SMBs and large enterprises are always on the look out for ways to minimize the total cost of ownership, without compromising on the quality of service. Application Hosting requires no expensive and lengthy installs and upgrades. It only takes minutes to get the system up and running with scalability and robustness of a technology enterprise. For instance, if you are a CPA or a small business firm all you need to have is a valid licensed copy of your tax program and an internet connection to start your tax practice. All the infrastructure and support can be availed through cloud hosting platform providers for a nominal fee. An interesting fact to note is the security concern for the hosted web applications. Business calls are highly confidential and so is the CPA data that is shared through the internet via hosting. But the technological advancements and use of updated security tools, firewalls and latest anti-virus software ensure that data and information are safeguarded from spammers, hackers and intruders. In terms of data security the cloud hosting services have come a long way. The IT world is becoming more and more virtualized with the sharp rise in the demand of web hosting applications. Enterprises are becoming more cautious day by day about investing wisely in resources and infrastructure. With the increasing benefit realization of application hosting services it is inevitable that the global IT market will soon turn completely towards them to utilize organization budgets and resources in a more productive manner.