UUNET SA has launched its application service provider (ASP) programme to the local market, with two customers already signed up, including iServe. There is also third to be enlisted by September this year.
The UUNET SA ASP model allows the company to deliver pre-packaged software through centrally managed servers, as a service. UUNET SA, with selected partners, provides the infrastructure for ASPs to facilitate a centrally managed service, ensuring that UUNET remains an ASP enabler and not an ASP provider.
"UUNET currently does not want to become an ASP, but rather facilitate the process of ASP hosting through our data-centre`s and bandwidth expertise," says Heather Tonkin, ASP programme manager at UUNET SA.
"We believe in focusing on our core competencies, and therefore have chosen to partner with industry experts to create ASP solutions for the market. The benefit of our offering is that we are able to roll-out the service to our customers internationally and into Africa, due to our extensive market penetration around the globe. Additionally, our expertise around Internet infrastructure and network maintenance, means that our partners can offer their customers piece-of-mind in a hosting environment"
To ensure the success of its programme, UUNET SA has customised some of its product offerings and developed ASPdirect, along with other ASP specific products, which only allows connectivity to the ASP environment, thereby reducing bandwidth costs.
Additionally, UUNET has created an ASP Alliance Programme, which will allow its partners to leverage off UUNET`s IP products and services, while still receiving the standard 24x7 support of their network on the UUNET backbone.
As part of the ASP Alliance Programme, UUNET has created a partner extranet whereby its ASP partners will have access to PowerPoint presentations, proposal templates, newsletters, etc.
"One of our main objectives with the ASP programme is to appoint UUNET resellers within our partner base, therefore the extranet will provide useful information on our company and preferred way of doing business," says Tonkin.
"At UUNET we provide ASPs with three of the four crucial elements ASPs require to deliver services to the market -- connectivity to the ASPs, data-centres and wide area networks. ISVs (Internet Service/Software Vendors) provide the third element, applications. Our skills are building the networks and data centres.
"Many ASPs are in fact based on partnering and collaboration. They bring together experts in each vital function, which provides economies of scale hitherto unknown, plus they offer protection, like disaster recovery and mirroring. There is no doubt: the ASP market is set to show dramatic growth over the next few years. It seems that ASPs will change today`s software delivery model forever, thereby dramatically affecting software authors, conventional distributors and end-users," says Tonkin.
UUNET SA will showcase its ASP programme at ASP World on 15 September 2001. During ASP World, UUNET will share a stand with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft, in addition to bringing out an international speaker for the conference.
For more information on the UUNET ASP Alliance Programme, please visit: www.uunet.co.za
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UUNET SA, a WorldCom company, is Southern Africa`s only pan-African provider of Internet-based network services and the largest global carrier of Internet traffic in Africa. The company provides Internet connectivity and corporate network services to major corporations as well as access services to Internet service providers.
All UUNET SA products and services are delivered within the required regulatory conditions.
UUNET Technologies, UUNET SA`s parent company, is the global leader in Internet communication solutions offering a comprehensive range of Internet services to business customers worldwide.
WorldCom (NASDAQ: WCOM, MCIT) is a pre-eminent global communications company for the digital generation, operating in more than 65 countries with 2000 revenues of $19 billion. WorldCom provides the innovative technologies and services that are the foundation for business in the 21st century. For more information, go to http://www.worldcom.com/
For more information, please visit the UUNET SA Web site at www.uunet.co.za
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