In this book, one of the ASP marketplace's most experienced consultants presents a comprehensive analysis and assessment of the ASP marketplace. Alexander Factor covers everything entrepreneurs and service providers need to know to build successful ASPs-and offers invaluable insights for enterprises seeking to use ASP services for competitive advantage. Analyzing Application Service Providers presents a complete analytical framework for ASPs and their customers. Sun consultant Alexander Factor introduces customer value propositions, the economics of the ASP model, ASP service definitions and descriptions, key ASP technologies and architectures, guidance on ASP investment decision-making, and more. He concludes with a detailed review of the ASP "ecosystem," and the evolving impact of ASPs on the business models of each participant in that ecosystem-provider, supplier, and customer. This book is for every participant in the ASP value chain: entrepreneurs, providers of technology to ASPs, system integrators, VARs, investors, and decision-makers considering using ASPs.

Table of Contents:
(NOTE: Each chapter concludes with a Summary.) Foreword. Preface. Acknowledgements. 1. The History and Evolution of Outsourcing and ASP. Outsourcing: Historical Insights. Division of Labor and Specialization. Business Services. IT Service as a Utility. Traditional IT Outsourcing. Selective Outsourcing. xSP and ASP. ASP as a Business. ASP as a Substitute for a Customer's IT. ASP as a New Ecosystem. IT Outsourcing and ASP—Differences and Similarities. Unresolved/Open Issues. 2. Why Companies Outsource. The Big Question. Weeding Costs and Maximizing Value. The Boundaries of Outsourcing. The ASP Substitution Effect. Modeling the Substitution Effect. ASP Substitution Rules. 3. Understanding ASP. ASP Characteristics. ASP Ecosystem. ISVs. Technology Providers. Enablers/Implementers. Global Technology Trends—Shifting Paradigms. From Microcosm to Telecosm. “A Colossal Upset”. ASP's Business Drivers and Enablers. ASP Drivers. ASP Enablers. ASP's Barriers to Success. Barriers: Sources and Reasons. Conversion and Complexity. 4. Taxonomy for ASP Economies. Technology Progress and Economic Benefits. Necessary Conditions for ASP Success. Cost Economies and ASP. Internal Economies. External Economies. Taxonomy of ASP Economics. A Counterpoint. 5. Network Computing and ASP Architectures. Introduction. What Is Network Computing? NC Architectural Framework. Application Tiers. Infrastructure Layers. Qualities Belong in Requirements Specifications. Major Qualities. Architectural Methodology. Implications of 3DF and Methodology to ASP. Leveraging NC's Framework. ASP's Generic Cost Economies. Managing NCs and ASPs. Costs Saved or Costs Spent. 6. ASP Types and Services. ASP's Topology. Geography and Data Centers. Example of ASP Architecture. ASP Data Centers. Taxonomy of ASP Types and Services. ASP Service Components. Taxonomy of Service Providers. Basic Service Provider Types. Co-Location Providers. Co-Location Services—Space. Co-Location Services—Networks. Elements of Co-Location's Management Services. Managed Infrastructure Providers. How an MIP Serves its Customers. MIP Platforms. MIP Space. MIP Networks. MIP Management Services. AIP. How Applications Are Hosted. Hosting Customer Applications. Developing and Hosting Customer Applications. Enterprise Application Integration. Summary Portfolio of AIP Services. Pure-Play Application Service Providers. Application Management Services. Sampling of ASP Applications. ASP Application Taxonomy. Analytical Applications. “Odd” Application Categories. Summarizing Pure-Play ASPs. ASP's Professional Services. Application Life Cycle Services. Customer Planning. Implementation Templates. Analytical Services. Education and Training. 7. Managing ASPs. ASP's Management Framework. Defining the ASP Management Framework. ASP Management Services. ASP M & M. Network and Systems M & M. Application Monitoring and Management. Web Monitoring and Management. Performance Monitoring and Management. Environmental Monitoring and Management. ASP Operations Management Services. Data Storage and Output Management. Software Distribution. Jobs and Workload Management. Business Continuity. ASP Customer Care. Education and Training. Service Management. Service Level Agreements (SLAs). ASP Service Management Process. Business Planning. Systems and Service Definition. Customer Management. Metering and Accounting. Configuration Management (Static and Dynamic). Billing and Reporting. Summary of Service Management. 8. ASP Security Services. Security Is NUMBER ONE Concern. What Is a Security Policy? What Is Security Architecture? Security Architecture Design Frameworks. Prevention, Protection, Detection, and Response. Domains and Facets. Sample Security Architecture for ASP. Domains, Facets, and Security Architecture. Systems Security Architecture. Physical Security Architecture. Network Security Architecture. Additional Security Services. Quantifying ASP Security. At What Cost Security? Analyzing Security Architecture. Example of Security Architecture Analysis. Security Management. Security Organization Management. Access Control Management. Encryption Key Management. Authentication Management. Non-Repudiation Management. Audit Management. Summary: Implications of Security for ASP. Need-To-Know and Right-To-Know. Partitioning. 9. Strategic Analysis of ASP Types. Approach to Analyzing the ASP Services. Three Frameworks for Four ASP Types. Framework One—Competitive Advantages. Framework Two—Value Propositions. Co-Location Competitive Advantages. Co-Location's Competitive Differentiators. Commoditization. Co-Location's Analysis—Cost Economies. Co-Location's Value Propositions. MIP Competitive Advantages. MIP's Competitive Differentiators. MIP Cost Economies. MIP Value Propositions. AIP Competitive Advantages. AIP's Competitive Differentiators. AIP Cost Economies. AIP Value Propositions. Pure-Play Competitive Advantages. Pure-Play's Competitive Differentiators. Pure-Play's Cost Economies. Pure-Play's Value Propositions. 10. ASP Enabling: Requirements and Fulfillment. What is ASP Enabling and Why Do it? Enabling Properties of ASP Infrastructure. Network Layer. Platform Layer—Computing. Platform Layer—Storage. Integration and Component Layers. Application Layer(s). ASP Service Management. Enabling ASP Service Management Functions. ASP Service Management's Conceptual Architecture. ASP Service Management Products. Mapping Terminology and Service Management Functions. 11. The Future of ASP. The ASP Industry's Formative Stage. Analyzing ASP Industry. ASP Markets—Future Customers and Their Needs. ASP Industry—Future ASPs and Their Services. ASP Services—Qualities and Diversity. ASP Technologies—Enablement of ASPs. ASP Ecosystem—Others Affected by the ASP. ASP Education—Public Learning of ASPs. Index.