Digital Asset Management Options: Hosted vs. Installed Software
Software as a Service (SaaS) Model or Hosted Provider
SaaS organizations, also known as Application Service Providers (ASPs), provide digital asset management software as a hosted
service. All hardware and software reside on the site of the SaaS provider and access
is granted through a client branded login page at a customer specific URL.
SaaS vendors are responsible for the following key elements.
- Technical support
- Software and hardware upgrades as the latest technology becomes available
- Security upgrades to ensure the safety of digital assets from external threats
- Disaster recovery processes
- Maintenance of storage and bandwidth directly effecting system performance
- Ongoing feature releases and system modifications
SaaS providers in the digital asset management industry allow organizations to focus on the management, organization, and distribution of digital assets and global users opposed to focusing on both the aforementioned and the technology that drives optimal performance. Taking advantage of the hosted environment, SaaS providers release new versions rapidly and multiple times per year versus internal implementations or installed software purchases releasing in intervals up to 18 months.
Implementation of digital asset management systems using the SaaS model ensures quick realization of both time and cost savings due to rapid deployment and ongoing performance enhancements.
Installed Software Model
Installed software companies provide digital asset management systems on the customer
site. Providing the application software and various hardware components,
internal IS/IT typically installs and supports the system in conjunction with
the software provider or third-party implementation team. The internal technical
staff is responsible for implementing new versions of software as they are
released, providing all security and backup for disaster recovery, supporting
all end user and admin requests for a cross-platform user base, upgrading
the hardware to ensure optimal performance, and providing custom programming
or coordinate on an as needed basis.
Industry Articles
New articles stated below offer additional information on the pros and cons
of using a Software as a Service provider or an installed software provider.
| Published: | Business Week Online |
| Author: | Jim Kerstetter |
| Article Name: | Commentary: Business Software Needs a Revolution |
| Excerpt: | "If the people who designed the software are the ones actually running it, wouldn't they have an easier time fixing it when something goes wrong?" |
| Full Article: | http://yahoo.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_25/b3838630.htm |
| Published: | ASPNews.com |
| Author: | Matthew Gonnering |
| Article Name: | Beauty Is Only Skin Deep |
| Excerpt: | "Concentrating on core competencies has been the most optimal approach taken by organizations to maximize profitability. Part of this concentration includes deciding when not to get involved with extensive system development that will shape and build an organization's brand integrity." |
| Full Article: | http://www.aspnews.com/trends/article.php/3296931 |
| Published: | CFO Magazine |
| Author: | Scott Leibs |
| Article Name: | Outsourcing Software Management |
| Excerpt: | "If you were a CFO at a prospective client company, you had to love the pitch: Instead of paying hefty licensing fees to a software vendor and then waiting for your internal IT department to roll out, say, a big enterprise resource planning system, why not rent it from a company that was expert in deploying and managing it?" |
| Full Article: | http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/3006638/c_3036063 |