EMA and Network World Assess the ASP Market

Business Wire, Dec 16, 1999

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 14, 1999--

The emerging application service provider (ASP) market is the focus of an in-depth study announced today by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA).

In association with Network World magazine (http://www.networkworld.com), EMA will survey IT professionals nationwide to obtain a comprehensive overview of early adopters' perceptions of ASPs, their implementation experiences, and their plans for the future. Limited sponsorship opportunities are currently available.

"Companies of all sizes are looking to ASPs to get complex software into production quickly for a fixed, predictable monthly fee," says Mary Jander, senior analyst at EMA. "This new study focuses on clearly defining customer perceptions, experiences, and expectations."

The demands of e-business are driving companies to sign on with ASPs who offer them mission-critical applications as online services. This approach reduces the initial investment organizations must make and saves development and implementation time. It also eliminates the need to hire extra IT talent to run the new systems.

Early ASP offerings include e-mail and messaging programs, databases, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications. A range of vertical solutions also are emerging.

The ASP market is slated to grow exponentially over the next two years. But the market is still in its infancy. Providers are just unveiling service trials. While reliable performance is guaranteed, early adopters are struggling with unanswered questions about performance, system availability, and security, as well as uncertainty about the long-term viability of this new software acquisition model.

EMA's study

(http://www.enterprisemanagement.com/research/study/asp.html) is based on in-depth interviews that will uncover user perceptions, their purchasing criteria, implementation plans, market strategies, and their unmet needs. This information becomes part of a comprehensive analysis of the ASP market as it now exists and the key forces that will affect the market over the next 18 months.

The ASP study is one in a series of EMA research projects scheduled for delivery in 2000. The resulting qualitative research report is slated for publication in April. Other topics include electronic commerce, outsourcing, security strategies, storage-area networks (SANs), and service-level agreements (SLAs).

About EMA

Enterprise Management Associates is the leading analyst firm focused on network and systems management software and services. EMA analysts have extensive experience in marketing, software development and business development to assist both vendors, end users, and service providers in the complexities of enterprise management. EMA professionals are recognized as experts in the industry through books on management, regular columns in Network World and InternetWeek, speaking engagements, and conferences. EMA provides services in research and publishing for both vendors and corporate users. Our up-to-date knowledge of management trends and technologies, combined with our expertise in marketing, sales, communications, research, and product analysis, makes us a perfect complement to your marketing team.

For more information on this study and future studies please visit our web site at http://www.enterprisemanagement.com/research/study