ASP: Software, but without the hassle
ASP, exactly what is that?
ASP stands for Application Service Provider. This concerns organisations that offer applications for companies via an Internet connection.
What sort of applications should I envisage?
Companies often use administration or stock management systems. This is also possible via ASP. You login via the Internet in an application located elsewhere on a server. This server hosts all your data, yet your own network remains visible and therefore easier to maintain!
I still can’t really imagine it…
Consider the hiring of centrally managed applications. A company places an application with a provider and demands a certain amount for it per month, per year or per amount of data.
Have we discovered a gap in the market?
Not really. This phenomenon has existed since the end of the nineteen nineties. Now that Internet connections are becoming increasingly faster and cheaper, ASP is becoming more and more attractive. Five years ago it was an entirely different story.
What sorts of applications are offered via ASP?
Currently winning in the popularity stakes is bookkeeping via ASP. Accountancy offices are making increasingly more use of this option to optimise their services. Several providers are available for this sector. Even the health care sector is increasingly using the services of application service providers. For this sector avoiding the problems around the management of networks is an important reason to change to ASP.
What about offering service management applications via ASP?
The ASP market is mostly geared towards business to business. Offering help desk and service management applications via ASP would also be logical and this does actually happen. ASP4all is one company that offers service desk applications (amongst others) in this way.
Is TOPdesk also available via ASP?
Yes, TOPdesk is available via ASP4all. TOPdesk in the Netherlands is currently investigating the possibilities of hosting its own applications in this manner. Whether there is much demand for this option is yet unknown.
Send us your feedback
Do you have ideas or suggestions for TOPdesk in the area of ASP? Then send these to magazine@topdesk.com.
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