Spotlight

Scenario

Confusing terminology. Overlapping functionality. Over 40 million hits on the term "hosting." How does a non-technical person decide on a technical solution to a business problem caused by business growth and regulatory changes? What questions should a non-technical person ask? Two important questions are:

1. Do I need access to only specific software from multiple locations?
2. Do I need a more comprehensive solution that will address more issues than just access?

Software-Centric Hosting

If you answered "yes" to Question 1, you should look for companies specializing in the deployment of the specific software that requires multiple access points. Technical companies that provide this service generally specialize in tier-one software that normally would require significant resources to deploy and develop according to the customer's requirements. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is an example of the type of software targeted by Application Hosting companies.

But what about other software and data? How will it be accessed and stored securely? What level of IT infrastructure (e.g., staff, hardware, etc.) will still be required to maintain the non-hosted platform? What business risks still loom for the non-hosted platform?

What makes IASP different?

IASP takes a different "Customer-centric" approach when evaluating a client's business requirements. IASP asks the following business questions when proposing an end-to-end technology solution:

• What regulatory requirements must be met?
• What is the company's exposure to security risks?
• What is the company's exposure to natural or manmade disasters?
• What are the company's goals regarding IT infrastructure costs?
• How can IASP help the company improve its bottom line (e.g., by being able to market that all data is stored at a secure data center)?
• What efficiencies does the company hope to gain operationally?

By determining the answers to these and other questions, IASP can provide customized business solutions that will meet all of a company's infrastructure requirements.