| As access to the Internet becomes more
| |
| | the cost both in terms of connectivity
|
| widespread with faster, more reliable and
| |
| | charges and equipment may, at least in
|
| 'always on' connections becoming the norm
| |
| | the short term, prove to be
|
| the growth of applications using the
| |
| | prohibitive.SecurityAs with everything to
|
| hosted application model continues to
| |
| | do with the Internet security is a
|
| expand.Although hosted applications will
| |
| | justified concern. There is no simple
|
| not suit every situation, or every
| |
| | 'one size fits all' solution to the
|
| customer, they offer many individuals and
| |
| | security issue and a lot will depend on
|
| organizations, as well as the application
| |
| | the specific hosted application and the
|
| manufacturers' themselves, considerable
| |
| | nature of the data.With online banking
|
| benefits over the locally installed
| |
| | and shopping becoming common place the
|
| application.What Is A Hosted Application?
| |
| | vendor should be able to provide their
|
| A hosted application, also known as
| |
| | clients with sufficient confidence that
|
| Internet-based application, web-based
| |
| | the data is secure and that any private
|
| application, online application and
| |
| | information remains private.Hosted
|
| Application Service Providers (ASPs) are
| |
| | applications will normally operate a
|
| software applications where the software
| |
| | login procedure ensuring that only those
|
| resides on servers that are accessed
| |
| | that are authorized have access. The more
|
| through the Internet instead of the more
| |
| | sensitive the data, the more
|
| traditional software that is installed on
| |
| | sophisticated the login procedure.A good
|
| either a local server or on individual
| |
| | data host will strictly enforce the
|
| PC's.The thin client concept is nothing
| |
| | stated wishes of their customers and
|
| new but advances in Internet connectivity
| |
| | ensure that data is not available or
|
| have allowed the application to move from
| |
| | released to anyone that is not legally
|
| a local server to a server on the
| |
| | entitled to see it and they will adopt
|
| Internet.Example of hosted applications
| |
| | the latest security measures available to
|
| would be that provides customer
| |
| | prevent unauthorized access.There may be
|
| relationship management facilities,
| |
| | some areas such as automatic logins from
|
| Netsuite offering all-in-one business
| |
| | known PC's and the use of cookies that
|
| management applications and that provides
| |
| | although they don't necessary represent a
|
| their customers with an enterprise survey
| |
| | significant risk could present a risk
|
| and questionnaires application.What Are
| |
| | under certain circumstances, such as
|
| The Benefits?Reduced costs, instant
| |
| | gaining access to a private account
|
| deployment, easier to maintain and
| |
| | through the automatic login using an
|
| reduced administration are among some of
| |
| | unattended PC. Although strictly speaking
|
| the main benefits.Low MaintenanceWith
| |
| | the customer's responsibility the
|
| hosted applications the hardware and
| |
| | customer should be made aware of the
|
| software is the responsibility of the
| |
| | risks so that they can take action to
|
| vendor with the client only having to
| |
| | safeguard their own system.Although
|
| maintain access to the Internet. As there
| |
| | security is a concern in some
|
| is no software to download a hosted
| |
| | circumstances private data may prove to
|
| application can be made instantly
| |
| | be more secure than it would be on a
|
| available across an entire organization
| |
| | private network with less sophisticated
|
| even where the organization has multiple
| |
| | security measures or in an environment
|
| regional and international offices.As
| |
| | where there is a risk from within.Vendor
|
| there is no software the considerable
| |
| | Lock-InAs with all software applications
|
| time and resources required for periodic
| |
| | there is a risk that a customer could
|
| updates is also completely
| |
| | become locked-in to paying costly monthly
|
| eliminated.Reduced CostThe need to
| |
| | subscriptions to maintain access to their
|
| license software through a 'per user',
| |
| | historic data. To counter this some
|
| 'per concurrent user', 'per server' or
| |
| | applications will allow the data to be
|
| 'site' license has been eliminated.
| |
| | downloaded or allow customer to maintain
|
| Although some hosted applications still
| |
| | access to their data for a reasonable
|
| do charge 'per user' many have taken the
| |
| | time free of charge.ControlUnlike a local
|
| opportunity to charge on a 'usage' and/or
| |
| | application the hardware and software is
|
| 'period' basis meaning that the customer
| |
| | under the control of a third party. This
|
| does not have to estimate the number of
| |
| | is a justifiable concern although not too
|
| licenses that will be required, nor
| |
| | dissimilar to the telephone provider
|
| install and pay for full licenses that
| |
| | supplying and maintaining the
|
| may only be used by some employees
| |
| | communications equipment and there are
|
| occasionally.This hosted application
| |
| | considerable incentives for the vendors
|
| model also allows the smaller
| |
| | to ensure high availability and
|
| organization and sole trader access to
| |
| | reliability since their business depends
|
| applications written using advanced
| |
| | on it.In SummaryBenefits
|
| software development tools and that
| |
| |
|
| utilize sophisticated database technology
| |
| |
|
| and high-end servers. The capital
| |
| |
|
| investment of the hardware and software
| |
| |
|
| as well as the security, backup and
| |
| |
|
| server maintenance cost are all the
| |
| | No vendor installation or upgrades
|
| responsibility of the vendor.Minimal
| |
| | required
|
| RiskMany hosted applications require no
| |
| |
|
| long term commitment from their
| |
| | Low start-up costs
|
| customers. New customers can often test
| |
| |
|
| hosted applications either through a free
| |
| | Minimal Risk, no long term commitment
|
| introduction offer or with minimal risk
| |
| |
|
| using a Pay-As-You-Go model. If after
| |
| |
|
| trialing the hosted application the
| |
| | Backups and viruses responsibility of
|
| customer finds it unsuitable then they
| |
| | the vendor
|
| can simply stop using the
| |
| |
|
| service.AccessBecause the application
| |
| | Hardware and software server
|
| software and the data is stored on the
| |
| | maintenance vendor's responsibility
|
| Internet server the application and data
| |
| |
|
| is available to the authorized client
| |
| | Investment in local hardware &
|
| once they have logged on from anywhere
| |
| | software reduced
|
| there is Internet access. The customer
| |
| |
|
| can now work anywhere in the office
| |
| | No need to synchronized data with
|
| environment, from remote offices or from
| |
| | multiple devices
|
| their home or hotel without the need to
| |
| |
|
| download their work or synchronize with
| |
| | Access to data available globally
|
| portable devices.IntegrationFor
| |
| | through any internet connection
|
| organizations that have legacy systems
| |
| |
|
| from different suppliers running
| |
| | Reduced software licensing costs
|
| different operating systems the hosted
| |
| |
|
| application will provide an integrated
| |
| |
|
| solution to any system that supports a
| |
| |
|
| standard Internet browser including
| |
| |
|
| Windows, Unix and Macs.SupportThe hosted
| |
| |
|
| application vendors benefit by not having
| |
| | Concerns
|
| to maintain multiple version numbers or
| |
| |
|
| individual maintenance and licensing
| |
| |
|
| agreements. New updates are installed
| |
| |
|
| centrally negating the need for expensive
| |
| |
|
| roll outs. For many applications the need
| |
| |
|
| for version numbers is eliminated as
| |
| | Lack of Internet availability
|
| updates are made incrementally bringing
| |
| |
|
| the benefits to the customer without
| |
| | Security
|
| having to bundle new features up into a
| |
| |
|
| new periodic version release. In some
| |
| | Possibility of vendor lock-in
|
| cases a user can request a new feature in
| |
| |
|
| the morning that can be developed, tested
| |
| |
|
| and deployed globally by the
| |
| |
|
| afternoon.The ConcernsInternet accessNew
| |
| |
|
| communication technology is able to bring
| |
| |
|
| high speed Internet connectivity to more
| |
| |
|
| and more remote places but there are
| |
| |
|
| still some regions where internet access
| |
| | Martin Day is a Director of Survey Galaxy
|
| is limited or not available.In some cases
| |
| | a hosted application that provides an
|
| such as mobile workers although high
| |
| | enterprise application to create, design
|
| speed Internet connectivity is available
| |
| | and publish surveys online.
|
