The ASP Solution - Is It For Your Assn?
By Charles Oakley, ISG Solutions, Rockville MD
The following article was
published in Association Trends, March 10, 2000.
"ASP" is one of the hottest technology buzzwords right now.
Technology trade journals are full of articles about ASPs, some talking about
how "someday all applications will be run this way." In the
Washington area alone, there are now 3 ASPs targeted specifically at
associations.
Since the concept is so new, you may be wondering exactly what ASPs are and
why there is so much excitement about them.
ASPs, or Application Service Providers, allow you to run software over the
Internet. Instead of having an application reside on a server in your office
and run over your internal LAN, your application is on a server in a secure
data center somewhere else and you access it over the Internet.
The promise of ASPs is that you can turn over your applications, along with
the costs and aggravations of running them, to someone else. You are free to
focus on your main purpose—serving your members.
But is an ASP the right solution for your association? Here are 5 factors
to consider.
Reliability
You need your software to be there when you need it, working as expected,
with support available. Find out who will be running the data center housing
your applications. What service level guarantees do they offer? Who will
provide your support? You want someone who knows your application inside and
out, and is available when you need them.
Security
Make sure your ASP offers sufficient security—a reliable firewall to
protect your data—as well as encryption and virus protection. Ask how
back-ups are handled. Planning ahead minimizes the impact of any disaster—major
or minor.
Capability
With the major association management packages all available now (from
different ASPs) and the rest sure to come along soon, you'll have the same
software choices you do now. But make sure you can live with a plain
"vanilla" implementation, or you should choose an ASP that offers
the level of customization you need.
Control
Clarify who owns the hardware, software, and data. Find out what happens
if you decide later that application hosting isn't for you, and you decide to
bring the application in-house.
Cost
Compare the cost of an ASP solution to your current expenses for hardware,
software, IT staff, outside technical support, and other factors. In most
cases, moving your applications to an ASP will save you money and smooth the
ups and downs of the IT budget.
If you decide that application hosting looks like a promising solution for
your association, your next step is to do some research. Read as much as you
can about ASPs and contact those serving the association market to get full
details about their products and services. The more you know, the better you
will be able to make the right decision for your association.
Details: Charles Oakley can be reached at 301-519-3776 or coakley@isgsolutions.com.
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