The Hosted Advantage
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A hosted application, also known as Internet-based application,, web-based application,,online application, and Application Service Providers ,(ASPs), Software as a Service, (SOAS) are applications where the software is installed on servers that are accessed through the Internet instead of the more traditional software that is installed on either a local server or on individual PCs. This is sometimes called a thin client.
With broadband Internet access becoming the standard and connected 24/7, Hosted applications are expanding rapidly due to a number of advantages they provide.
Hosted applications are not suitable for every situation, but this model does provide a number benefits.
Since the application is hosted on the service providers equipment, there is no cost for equipment and support. High priced network administration is handled by the hosting provider. Hosting providers also provide higher up-time than most in-house operations can attain. Hosted applications can usually be securely accessed from any computer with an Internet connection providing great flexibility for remote users or access to systems from your customer’s location. Disaster recovery is the responsibility of the hosting provider who have implemented robust and redundant backup and recovery systems. Growth is easily handled by upgrading bandwidth, disk space, memory and many other resources which are handled by the Hosting provider. Many of these applications are offered with no long term commitment and can even be tested in a free trial environment.
The two main concerns with the hosted model are internet access and security. If your connection is down so are you. A good provider will enforce strict authentication processes and data integrity and, in most cases, data on a hosted environment is more secure than that hosted on a private network with less sophisticated security systems.
Examples of hosted Applications
- SAFARI - Sales Fulfillment and Accounts Receivable
- QuickBooks Online - Business Accounting software
- PaceTracer - Contact Management Solutions available at www.carterss.com/pacetracer.aspx
There are many more ranging from simple hosted email to ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Systems.
If your in the market for a software solution, I would urge you to take a long look at hosted solutions.
November 12th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
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