 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
  FAQWe encounter a range of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Hosted/ASP solution and its many benefits. Below is a list of many of the most common questions and their answers. Please contact us if we can be of any assistance. What are the benefits of using an ASP? Why should I consider an ASP or Hosted solution for my IT? What’s the difference between Hosting and ASP? What if I’ve already invested in IT equipment? We already own our MS Office/Exchange/NT etc licenses. Why would I switch to an ASP environment? What applications can I access and how can I access them over the Internet? Isn’t Citrix very expensive? Why can’t we just use Windows Terminal Services? Wouldn’t it be cheaper if I just employed extra IT staff or contracted the labour I need? Will my applications perform as fast and reliably as when they are on my LAN? How will my remote users connect? What will happen if my telecomms link goes down? I’m used to having my servers here…. why should I move them? Won’t I lose control of my systems? What about security? Will my systems be safe when they are not sitting in my building anymore? Will my data be backed up and my system virus protected etc? Will I need to make my IT staff redundant? Why is ExpressApps the right ASP for my business? What is an ASP?An ASP is an “Application Service Provider”. Their business is to deliver and manage applications and computer services for delivery to multiple users via the Internet or a private network. This provides an extremely cost effective solution to the demands of systems ownership: high up-front capital expenses, implementation challenges and a continuing need for maintenance, upgrades and customisation. What are the benefits of using an ASP?Focus: by outsourcing application management you can focus critical resources on improving the performance of your core business processes.
How does an ASP work?An ASP operates a data centre, including servers, firewalls and other equipment, on which software applications are installed and made available for use via the Internet or private network connection. A customer typically contracts with an ASP to provide a certain suite of applications (eg an accounting package, mail and Microsoft Office) to an agreed number of end-users (from 5 to 500 or more) connecting from a number of locations (eg head office, some branch offices and even mobile workers). The ASP makes these applications available via a secure web page and assists the customer with obtaining the appropriate telecommunications connections at each of their locations to enable authorised end-users to access the required applications when needed. Why should I consider an ASP or Hosted solution for my IT?You should consider a Hosted and/or ASP style solution whenever there is a “Breakage Event”… a time when there is a known need to invest in upgrading your IT infrastructure… typically driven by a change in the business (e.g. acquisition, major software upgrade, major operating system upgrade etc.). Customers that will benefit most from an ASP/Hosted solution include those that:
What’s the difference between Hosting and ASP?A Hosted solution is where the customer purchases and owns the equipment and/or software licences but chooses to have the equipment installed and maintained at a Data-Centre/Hosting facility. Typically this involves paying an installation and set-up fee plus a regular monthly maintenance fee in addition to the initial outlay for the capital purchase. The benefit is that you retain the ownership of your systems and obtain the best possible engineering services whilst still taking advantage of the shared infrastructure (Firewalls, Routers etc.) of the Host. The downside is that you must still make a capital purchase and upgrades and/or expansion may require further purchase decisions and capital approvals. An ASP (or Application Service Provision) solution involves little or no capital outlay or purchase by the customer. You simply rent the applications and operating environment needed for a fixed cost per user per month plus a small set-up/installation fee. The benefit is that you only pay for what you need/use and take full advantage of the additional infrastructure and redundancy offered by your service provider. The monthly rental fee will normally cover any upgrades or expansion required and expansion/addition of users is generally quick and seamless. While you do not “own” the equipment on which your applications reside (which also means it is not clogging your balance sheet) you do have full control of your IT. In practice we find that most customers typically opt for a hybrid type solution. Business critical applications can still be purchased from the relevant Software Vendor and either hosted on dedicated equipment or delivered via an ASP model. Other items such as Exchange/E-mail, Anti-Virus protection and Office Applications can be either hosted or delivered via an ASP solution, depending on requirements. Won't it cost me more?If an ASP/Hosted solution is right for you then it will cost you less, in some cases significantly less, than you are spending today. See our indicative calculation for details How much does your IT cost you today and is it up to scratch? According to Gartner only about 65% of the true cost of IT is directly accounted for, with some 35% being indirect and often invisible in the Australian Market [1]. Your visible IT costs include the capital cost, real cost of admin and technical staff plus ongoing maintenance etc. Invisible costs include lost productivity due to downtime and/or antiquated and slow systems, as well as lost time due to end-users being involved in problem solving etc. (eg clearing printer jams). There is the cost of maintaining and powering your server room. And also the time and cost involved in management: Do those back-ups get done when they should? Are you sure your Anti-Virus protection is up to date? When was the last time you checked your Firewall? Are you really in control of your Internet access and e-mail usage? An ASP/Hosted solution can deliver savings in IT costs of up to 50%. And you can also be sure that back-ups are done regularly, you are protected against viruses, your systems are secure and under control. The reasons are simple. When you invest in and manage and maintain your own IT you must invest in capacity that you only occasionally need and there is little opportunity to achieve economies of scope, scale and skills. With an ASP/Hosted solution you invest only in what dedicated resources you need and for anything else pay only for what you use. In addition you are able to access the economies of scope, scale and skills that an experienced and dedicated IT specialist business can provide. Your IT staff spend less time fighting fires and more time adding value to your business and your end-users experience productivity gains and spend less time involved in problem solving. Our aim at ExpressApps is to provide our customers with a Calais (not a Rolls-Royce) level of service. Which means you experience some of the best IT services available for an affordable price After all, what business are you in? Just as most companies today use external logistics and freight companies rather than own and manage their own trucking fleet, so you can lower your IT expenditure and get better service. What if I’ve already invested in IT equipment?If you’ve recently invested in new IT infrastructure then you may still find that Hosting is a viable and cost-effective solution. For an ASP type solution we would be happy to discuss an arrangement (depending on the age and type of equipment) where we purchase the equipment from you for its written down book value in return for a reduced monthly rental. We already own our MS Office/Exchange/NT etc licenses. Why would I switch to an ASP environment?If you have recently purchased a full set of the latest version of Microsoft licenses including Software Assurance we recommend that a Hosting solution be considered. However we typically find that many customers have a hodge-podge of licences, often requiring the support and maintenance of different operating systems and versions of MS Office etc. There are many advantages to an ASP style solution for your Microsoft licenses, including lower overall costs, reduced downtime and more efficient usage of IT. What applications can I access and how can I access them over the Internet?Using the latest technology provided by Citrix and Microsoft enables appropriately skilled and qualified ASP/Hosting Providers to publish virtually any application on a web page for secure authorised access. Customers can then access these applications from anywhere on the Internet. All that is needed is an Internet connection and a standard web browser. Presentation of applications and access to data is customisable at an end-user level… so each person can run and access only what is authorised. Isn’t Citrix very expensive? Why can’t we just use Windows Terminal Services?Citrix provides many advantages on top of the benefits of Terminal Services. These include faster performance, better bandwidth utilisation, much better printer management and ability to manage user connections, logins and security etc. Citrix also supports a much wider range of operating system environments on the client device (PC, laptop or terminal), including Unix, Mac and Windows 16-bit. The effective cost of using Citrix adds approximately $15 per user per month, which adds up to great value. Why should I pay around $30 per month for Microsoft Office when I can purchase it for a few hundred dollars?The real cost of Microsoft Office (standard) (excluding hardware maintenance and support) is $736 plus 28% for 2 years Subscription Advantage…a total of $942…equivalent to over 30 months rental. And this does not include the cost of capital (which at, say 10%, makes the real cost around $1,100…equivalent to 3 years rental). Even an OEM licence (only available with the purchase of a new PC or laptop) costs you around 2 years rental. In addition when you “buy” licences you must invest in your predicted capacity… i.e. you must purchase as many licences and the servers etc to meet your maximum predicted demand. With an ASP type solution you pay only for what you use each month…so in quiet periods you pay less. Wouldn’t it be cheaper if I just employed extra IT staff or contracted the labour I need?Even if you could find a suitable IT staff member, what is their real cost and will they have all the skills required to maintain a complex IT environment? (Today the basic list includes experience with Servers, PCs/desktops, Windows NT/2000 operating system, Windows 2000 Server and Active Directory, Mail (eg Exchange) Databases, Routers (eg Cisco Configuration), Switches, Firewalls, Anti-Virus, Internet, Citrix/Terminal Servers, Applications etc.) And what do you do when they are away on leave/training or tied up elsewhere? An ASP/Hosted environment gives you access to a team of dedicated and expert IT staff only when needed whose job is to make your experience seamless. How many additional expert resources will you need to help manage your own IT infrastructure on your site? Do you need 1.33 people one month and 2 people the next? An ASP/Hosted solution reduces the cost of labour (e.g. no travel time/cost and more efficient response to problems) and provides a more seamless experience so you can focus on what you do best…running your business. Will my applications perform as fast and reliably as when they are on my LAN?In some cases they will run faster, depending on the current desktops you use and the type of telecommunications connection you use. With an ASP/Hosted solution running Citrix all the application execution takes place on powerful, load-balanced servers at our Data Centre. Your PC only receives screen updates and sends keyboard strokes and mouse movements. In a typical LAN environment your PC carries out much of the application execution, which can often overload it. Our experience shows that allowing 20Kbps per concurrent end-user connecting is more than sufficient for most customers…. so a typical customer site of 25 users needs a committed bandwidth of less then 500Kbps (typical of a quality business grade[2] 1.5/256 ADSL connection today). How will my remote users connect?Via the Internet or dedicated link. Under an ASP/hosted solution you can do away with costly direct dial-up connections and allow your remote and mobile users to connect to your applications via a secure internet interface from anywhere in the world on any client device. What will happen if my telecomms link goes down?Modern business-grade telecommunications data links are extremely reliable. Our experience shows that careful selection of the right telecommunications service for your requirements produces extremely reliable service, probably fewer outages than you experience today with your servers and equipment on-sit. Depending on your business tolerance to downtime differing levels of redundancy, including telecommunications, can be arranged. Will the service be reliable?Research shows that the major causes of system outages (40%+) are due to the application and the operating system, typically due to poor system maintenance or software application updates being installed without adequate testing. With an ASP/Hosted solution the systems are constantly monitored and maintained and software updates are controlled and tested prior to release. We maintain your applications on a fully load balanced Citrix Server farm and all your data is secure on RAID-5 disks. This ensures a high degree of reliability, which is supported by an appropriate Service Level Agreement. I’m used to having my servers here…. why should I move them? Won’t I lose control of my systems?Ultimately this comes down to a question of what business are you in. An ASP/Hosted solution is focused on ensuring that the applications and data that your people need to run your business are available and performing to expectations for the lowest possible cost. This means they can focus on doing what they have been employed to do rather than be hamstrung by IT. Your control is ensured by thorough Service Level Agreements, which obligate your service provider to deliver what you need to run your business without you having the headache of having to manage the hardware, software and systems required. What will happen to my data?Whether you choose a Hosted or an ASP solution…. you retain the ownership of your data. We can also provide regular copies on secure digital media upon request. And in an ASP/Hosted environment it will probably more secure than it is now.[3] What about security? Will my systems be safe when they are not sitting in my building anymore?What level of security can you provide on your own site today? Do you have a physically secure climate controlled Server Room? What level of Firewall and Intrusion protection/detection can you provide on your site? What level of device monitoring and alarming do you have? How secure is your system against your own employees if they become disgruntled? With an ASP or Hosted solution you get access to the highest levels of physical and data security for a fraction of the cost required to invest in these yourself as you can take advantage of the economies of scope, scale and skills of the service provider. All our technical staff have the highest level of expertise and qualifications and you are protected by their professionalism and desire to maintain their reputation in the IT arena. Will my data be backed up and my system virus protected etc?With an ASP or Hosted solution you can be assured of reliable and regular back-ups, without having to depend on someone within your organisation remembering to insert a tape every night. We are able to provide complete Anti-Virus protection right up to your desktop for a modest monthly fee… Our customers who have chosen this option have never suffered a Virus infection. Will I need to make my IT staff redundant?No. Experience shows that your IT staff become more focused on business issues ® how to improve customer service and your competitive edge, how to more effectively deliver critical business data and applications to staff when and where they need it, instead of fighting fires and doing break-fix work (What is the current % of time your IT staff spend on break-fix versus new projects and IT business development?). Why is ExpressApps the right ASP for my business?ExpressApps has been recognised by IDC as one of the top 5 Application Service Providers in the country and is one of just a handful of Microsoft Certified ASP Partners in Australia. We specialise in the provision of expert IT engineering services and managing the delivery of applications via Hosting and Integration services. Formerly known as Dunson, we have been IT infrastructure providers/managers for Small and Medium Sized Businesses for more than a decade and have been Microsoft Certified Partners since 1995 and a Citrix Gold partner since 1998. We have been recognised by IDC as one of the top 5 Application Service Providers in the country and are one of just a handful of Microsoft Certified ASP Partners in Australia. We believe that you get the best results and the best value though using focused specialists, and our focused specialisation is the management and implementation of best practice IT infrastructure in a Microsoft/Application Server environment. What should I do next?Naturally, we are in business to help our customers achieve their business objectives with IT. We can help you determine whether an ASP/Hosted solution is right for you or whether you need to adopt a more traditional approach. Please contact us for our simple, self-assessment checklist. If there is any way we can be of assistance, whether it's to provide advice, fix a problem, install a new system, protect your valuable data from intrusion or help with a major upgrade, then please don't hesitate to call us.
To learn more about ExpressApps or to ask any more questions about ASP or Hosting please contact us. [1] The Gartner Group has extensive benchmarks for the cost of IT all around the world. Figures vary from market to market mainly because of differences in salaries and on-costs etc. In the USA the split between direct and indirect IT costs is closer to 50/50. <1> [2] We have many clients who use ADSL. Provided the connection has a low contention ratio (ideally 2:1 or 4:1) the service is extremely reliable (typical consumer grade connections have contention ratios of 50:1 or 100:1… which means up to 100 users are contending for the same bandwidth). <2> [3] Research shows that the major source of security breaches comes from disgruntled employees with access to internal systems. <3> <- Back
|
 |
 |
||||||
|