From a business perspective, it doesn't really matter what type of computer you use - only that it delivers the features you need at a cost-effective price. Your staff need access to certain programs to fulfil their roles such as email, a client database and accounts software. Your network will require anti-virus software, a backup solution and a firewall. But it is unimportant where these applications actually "live" - only that they are accessible from wherever the user is.
And so the current model may be changing. For many years, companies have purchased a hardware platform, a selection of software components, commissioned somebody to install and maintain it and then upgraded everything to a newer version every 4 to 5 years. But today, fast and reliable Internet connectivity is enabling a new approach for certain applications.
Software as a Service - why buy when you can rent?
Rather than buy a solution, why not rent it and pay for how much you use? Many vendors are now installing their applications on servers hosted out on the Internet and equipping them with suitable levels of resiliency, security and backup. To access them, all you need is a basic computer and an Internet connection.
Delta Comtech has been recommending the MessageLabs anti-malware Email Protect product for some time now. This application runs out on the Web away from your systems using the SaaS model, which means no installation, no upgrades and no performance impact on the local system. MessageLabs has made significant investment in connectivity and redundancy so the service will be more reliable than your own Internet connection, they employ round-the-clock support and technical expertise focused on their product, meaning you can essentially configure the system and forget about it.
Other examples of SaaS
Hosted Exchange mailboxes are another type of SaaS application which has spread rapidly in recent months. Rather than purchase your own mail server, this option allows you to securely share a portion of an online server for a fraction of the cost. Delta Comtech provides a whole range of hosted exchange services so please call for more information and pricing.
Online backups - These come with their own peculiar set of constraints and considerations. See - www.delta-comtech.co.uk/news/issue1/backup.htm
The popular Sage accountancy product is now available in an online format - www.online50.net
Google provides a growing number of free online applications. Many of these are in Beta and, as the 2-day outage suffered by some users earlier this year would suggest, may not be quite ready for a business to rely on as yet.
http://docs.google.com
What are the benefits and are there other considerations?
SaaS applications are usually priced on a per-user basis. This works well for small businesses but does not always scale well for larger companies. However, it is important to consider the total cost of ownership of these solutions. SaaS products will rarely be the cheapest in terms of headline cost but once support and maintenance costs have been factored in they can become much more competitive.
Furthermore, hosted applications are generally accessible from anywhere via a simple Web connection which is good news for mobile or home-based workers and can also contribute to your disaster recovery planning by assuring vital business continuity in the case of fire, flood or swine flu.
Naturally, this easy accessibility from anywhere on the Internet does mean you need to pay appropriate attention to security issues. Complex passwords that change with reasonable frequency are an absolute minimum.
Businesses also need to consider their legal obligations regarding the secure storage of data, the international transfer of data and any requirement to retain information.
Service providers generally backup the data you hold with them, but you need to ensure the small print of their service level agreement gives your business adequate protection. It is also a good idea to establish how you can extract your information in case you ever need to move to another provider.
One final thing to note is that these services rely on an Internet connection. If you do not have a stable Internet connection then these solutions are probably not for you. But as the availability and reliability of Internet bandwidth increases - SaaS is the way many of your applications will be heading.
