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----- Original Message -----


>
> Watch Your ASP!
>
> Dateline 09/08/99
>
> The latest buzzword on the horizon - ASP (Application Service Providers).
> Simply put, what ASP's want to do is provide applications from
spreadsheets
> to word processors to databases via the Internet. They would charge you a
> "rental" fee for using their application. Now, why in the world would you
> want to? Well there are many reasons that make this model attractive.
First,
> you would access to your programs and files from any place that has Web
> access. Regardless if you brought your notebook, regardless if you brought
> your current file versions you would have access to both your application
> and your data. Next, in a large network, or wide area network (WAN),
> deployment of applications or upgrades would be easier and quicker. Which
of
> course would substantially lower the cost of your company information
> technology expenses. All your in house IT staff would need to do would be
to
> maintain broad-bandwidth and secure connection to the net. Your company no
> longer would need staff to maintain same versions of the company programs.
> When a newer version of your favorite spreadsheet became available it
would
> automatically be available to your staff upon opening the application. No
> longer would their be the need to plan deployment of 34 upgrades to 34
> machines. New machines would need a minimal amount of setup, a score of
> applications won't need to be installed. License compliance would be
> automatic. Corrupted or crashed versions of programs would be a bad memory
> with this new model.
>
> link Microsoft, link Sun, link Oracle and link SAP are just some of the
big
> players investing heavily in this new medium to deliver applications.
> Certainly some of the biggest players in the computer industry investing
so
> much research, development and dollars into a technology would be a sign
> that this is a done deal. Well, not so fast.
>
> First and foremost the applications (weblications) are still too primitive
> in the development cycle. Weblications are still way too slow and awkward.
> The backbone to the Internet (the means which you and I connect, and
servers
> connect to the Internet) is not stable enough. The vast majority of people
> are still connecting via telephone modems, over regular phone lines
(POTS).
> How many dropped connections, long waits to get a line that is not busy
have
> you suffered? Cable modems, DSL and other high speed and broadband access
is
> not widely enough in place to support the traffic. And most importantly
the
> marketplace is fickle. Most people are very resistant to this model. They
> like to control what applications and which versions they are using.
People
> already resent Big Brother having too much control over their systems.
>
> ASP has a long way to go before it is ready for broad acceptance and
> deployment. link Tell me what you think. Is this a technology you would
> welcome?
> End of article
>
>
>
>


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