ConfluentASP Frequently Asked Questions
By Mark Ray
Products/FAQ
What in an Application Service Provider (ASP)?
An Application Service Provider (ASP) deploys, hosts, manages and leases access to software applications and Web hosting services from a central facility via the Internet or a private network. ASPs reduce costs, reduce risk, and allow companies access to best-in-class software applications at a reasonable, guaranteed price.
What is the cost benefit of the ASP model?
The advent of high-speed/low-cost network bandwidth--coupled with the ever-increasing speed of computer hardware--allows a centrally located server to support numerous customers over great distances. This shared usage model spreads the costs of network access, software applications, computer hardware, and IT expertise across multiple customers, yielding a lower price per customer. Moreover, the expertise garnered by an ASP allows the establishment of service level agreements (SLAs) that guarantee uptime, application performance, backup, redundancy, and other factors that are difficult or prohibitively expensive to implement internally.
How does ConfluentASP ensure security?
ConfluentASP provides high-level data security at both the hardware and network levels. We typically allocate dedicated servers to customers to allow segregation and compartmentalization of customer data. In addition, our network circuits are configured to ensure that each customer environment becomes an "island of computing," only accessible to those authorized to both view and modify data. In-house ConfluentASP personnel perform periodic security audits, which result in a security certification for each customer. A single security officer within ConfluentASP is responsible for maintaining that certification and is accountable to both the customer and ConfluentASP management, ensuring compliance with established security guidelines.
Why would I outsource application hosting and maintenance when I have an in-house IT staff?
Most in-house IT staffs are overworked; they have many tactical and strategic projects both in process and in planning. The ASP model we offer allows more applications to come online quickly with fewer headaches, lower costs, and less impact on in-house projects than would otherwise be the case. Once an application is brought online, our application engineers work closely with the customer’s IT staff on integration and maintenance of the application. In essence, the ConfluentASP team becomes a highly trained, highly accountable extension of your in-house IT staff.
What training do you offer?
We offer a robust training curriculum designed to bring both in-house system administrators and end users up to speed quickly and efficiently. These training courses are typically conducted on-site at the customer’s facility once applications have been installed and an initial operation capability (IOC) achieved. The specific training curriculum is developed based on the company’s needs and on the applications being implemented.
What is a typical duration for an ASP contract?
ConfluentASP usually enters into three-year contracts, although two-year contracts are also available. Initial installation, integration, and set-up typically requires between 30 and 60 days, during which time applications are installed, training is conducted, and security is certified. The project then transitions into an on-going support phase in accordance with the service level agreement (SLA).
How does ConfluentASP ensure data integrity?
ConfluentASP follows a robust, standardized backup and data integrity program to ensure preservation of data and effective disaster recovery. Backup procedures utilize advanced software applications to assist and audit the backup procedures and ensure the ability to recover if necessary. For added assurance, we periodically performs a disaster recovery exercise on a redundant server to confirm that backup procedures and policies are indeed performing as planned.
What availability and up time are typically achieved?
We pride ourselves on achieving industry leading availability and uptime metrics; excluding scheduled maintenance, our uptime benchmark is 99.93%. In addition, we schedule periodic maintenance is typically performed during overnight shifts or on weekends and holidays in order to be minimally invasive on customer operations.
How do we work with you?
Upon request, we would be pleased to create and deliver a personalized proposal to your organization. Projects typically consist of three phases: a) needs analysis, b) implementation and integration, and c) ongoing support and maintenance. In addition to these structured phases, ConfluentASP is committed to working closely with customers to identify and integrate additional applications and data sources at any time, further enhancing your ability to focus on running your business with optimal results. For additional information, please contact us at .