Application Services Provision Model

Beyond desktop and mainframe computing, advent of web technologies and resulting shared applications are creating new ways to meet some or almost all aspects of information technology (IT) needs. Concept of application service provision has come a long way since it first came on the scene in the late 1990s? Originally, the idea of virtual cooperation and application sharing came from Bill Davidow, a fellow venture capitalist and entrepreneur. What Bill foresaw as the futurenof computing is already in practice; a new IT business model.nHewlett-Packard and Qwest are among the pioneers for providingnapplication services. Microsoft also allows some companies to offer its Back Office products, including SQL Server, Exchange and Windows NT Server on a rental, pay-as-you-use basis.nnnHi-tech developments and changes at a fast rate are moving towards convergence of the software, information, technology carriers, and computer engineering. Result: IT structural designs are shifting from desktop and mainframe environments towards Internet based structures. Similarly, software applications are altering from made to order and separately owned solutions towards pre-packaged and Web based solutions. It is in this context that ASP business model is getting more interest as a hot trend.nnIT business model that offers end users – small and large businesses,government organizations, non-profits, and membership organizations even individuals -- an access to applications and services over the Internet is known as application service provider (ASP - not to be mixed with Active Server Pages. It also is an abbreviation of as soon as possible). It is sometime called software-as-a-service, on-demand computing, apps-on-tap or utility computing.nnTypically, the applications are deployed by a third party that hosts, manages, updates software based services and solutions and distributes to clients from a central location. XML and HTML processes allow the clients to interact with the software. Sometime, ASP also rent out the server hardware and the network. What is more, many ASPs, particularly enterprise ASPs, have now started offering on site solutions in which the relevant hardware, software and function remain on the customer'snsite.nnnBeyond desktop and mainframe computing, advent of web technologies and resulting shared applications are creating new ways to meet some or almost all aspects of information technology (IT) needs. Concept of application service provision has come a long way since it first came on the scene in the late 1990s? Originally, the idea of virtual cooperation and application sharing came from Bill Davidow, a fellownventure capitalist and entrepreneur. What Bill foresaw as the future of computing is already in practice; a new IT business model. Hewlett-Packard and Qwest are among the pioneers for providing application services. Microsoft also allows some companies to offer its Back Office products, including SQL Server, Exchange and Windows NT Server on a rental, pay-as-you-use basis.nnnHi-tech developments and changes at a fast rate are moving towards convergence of the software, information, technology carriers, and computer engineering. Result: IT structural designs are shifting from desktop and mainframe environments towards Internet based structures. Similarly, software applications are altering from made to order andnseparately owned solutions towards pre-packaged and Web basednsolutions. It is in this context that ASP business model is getting more interest as a hot trend.nnIT business model that offers end users – small and large businesses, government organizations, non-profits, and membership organizations even individuals -- an access to applications and services over the Internet is known as application service provider (ASP - not to be mixed with Active Server Pages. It also is an abbreviation of as soon as possible). It is sometime called software-as-a-service, on-demandncomputing, apps-on-tap or utility computing.nnTypically, the applications are deployed by a third party that hosts, manages, updates software based services and solutions and distributes to clients from a central location. XML and HTML processes allow the clients to interact with the software. Sometime, ASP also rent out the server hardware and the network. What is more, many ASPs, particularly enterprise ASPs, have now started offering on site solutions in which the relevant hardware, software and function remain on the customer'snsite.