General

ASP News Briefs

We look at the ASP Industry Consortium (ASPIC, no less), a new Swiss-Norwegian ISP/ASP hybrid called Nextra, and iManage. All have great ISP-to-ASP ideas.

by Gerry Blackwell

A good starting point
The Wakefield MA-based ASP Industry Consortium, a trade organization that now boasts over 500 members in 21 countries, has just published its "Application Service Provider Buyers' Guide."

The two-page Guide, available for download from the consortium's Web page, is designed to help firms make informed decisions about ASP services. While it's mainly intended for prospective end customers, it's also a good place for ISPs to start dipping their toes in the ASP waters.

Produced by the consortium's education committee, the guide highlights ASP issues, offers evaluation suggestions and directs readers to additional resources. It's available in .PDF format (Adobe Acrobat Reaader required).

The Swiss are doing it
For some the transition from ISP to ASP may be gradual and start with small steps. For Nextra, a pan-European "communications service provider (CSP)" — aka ISP with bells and whistles — it's a major undertaking.

M2 Communications-Nextra AS, Nextra's parent, part of Telenor, the leading Norwegian telecommunications operator, recently founded a new company in Switzerland that will specialize in the application service provider (ASP) business.

M2 is to invest up to 30 million Swiss francs (about $20 million) over the next two years in the new company, which is called Aspectra. It will offer e-business applications to medium and large enterprises as well as dedicated hosting services for complex web-sites, portals and e-business applications.

The founding of Aspectra marks Nextra's first move into the growing European ASP arena. Considered a key business focus for future expansion, application service provisioning complements Nextra's existing network of Internet service providers — currently spanning 10 European countries.

The company cites Boston-based market research firm Ovum Inc., which predicts the market for ASP services this year will be worth $4 billion worldwide, of which Western European markets will account for $800 million.

"For medium and large companies, e-business has become a substantial part of their business," says Aspectra managing director Roelof Koopmans. "They now recognize that they are better off when operations of such complex websites and e-business applications are outsourced to external companies, specialized in around the clock operations of hardware, software and the network connection to the internet.

"They also see the possibility to reduce the cost of ownership," Koopmans adds.

Aspectra AG is expected to be be fully operational by the end of September 2000. The company plans to employ 45 people by the end of 2000 at its Zurich offices. The team is establishing major partnerships with several software and hardware vendors as well as system integrators and other internet/IT companies.

iManage Opens New Channels
iManage Inc. of San Mateo, Calif., a provider of "e-business content and collaboration solutions," recently announced availability of a new iHost program that targets both partners and customers.

According to firm's Web site, the iManage products "provide an infoCommerce infrastructure for the effective management of content and correspondence related to business processes."

The new channel program includes three distinct hosting models — iHost for Partners, iHost for Dot-Com's, and iHost Direct.

The first hosting model, iHost for Partners, will enable enrolled partners to host a complete iManage solution for their customers.

The second hosting model, iHost for Dot-Com's, will enable Internet companies to license iManage products and services as part of their existing product and service offerings.

The third hosting option, iHost Direct, offers iManage web-hosting for strategic partners through an alliance with Exodus Communications.

iManage says the three hosting models offer partners and their customers customizable products and services that are intended to be cost effective and easy to deploy. They also feature a flexible, subscription-based licensing model, training, and support services.

"The e-business marketplace has been clamoring for truly flexible, full-featured web-hosting options," says Owen Carton, vice president of strategic planning for iManage. "The iHost program was developed to tap into the trend for needing high-value, collaborative software delivered as part of a web-based service."

Several iManage partners have already enrolled in the new iHost program, including Network Technology Group (NTG), a full-service ASP that provides businesses with hosting, network integration, and high-speed connectivity solutions.

The company's products provide a centralized web-based unified content platform for information and collaboration management, both for internal use and for use across the extended enterprise.

 —End