Application Service Providers

In the last blog I discussed the difficulties of marketing our services. I did not delve into what it is that we do, though. In this post, I’m going to describe the Application Service Provider (ASP) business model and the services that ASPs provide.

Application Service Providers develop web-based software for their clients. The ASP umbrella encompasses many different types of businesses, and a business is certainly not limited to exclusively following an ASP model. In general, ASPs will create software and host servers, allowing their clients to access their services through the internet. The needs of clients vary greatly, so ASPs often have to develop very specific content for a certain client. On the other hand, many clients share certain needs, and sometimes an application framework can be manipulated only slightly for different clients.

The idea behind using an ASP is that the software is completely web-based. This makes it so that a client does not have to download anything or pursue any updates. It is the responsibility of the ASP to keep its services up-to-date. A major advantage to exclusively web-based services is accessibility. Because the company hosts the software, clients can simply log on to a website and start using the service right away. This is especially useful to big companies who are spread across many states or countries.

The ASP industry is extremely diverse and constantly changing, one of the reasons why it is difficult to give a general description of it. However, I hope that I’ve helped you to get a better understanding of ASPs and their purpose through this post. On the next blog, I’ll get more specific about the advantages of the ASP model.