The Application Service Provider Toolkit is a toolkit of Sixteen ready to use templates and documents which enables you to:

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Initiate the ASP initiative:
Best practices for evaluating and selecting a service provider; Service contract negotiation and renegotiation
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Manage existing ASP solutions:
Governance and organizational models for managing ASP; Creating business-value SLAs; Most common mistakes made in ASP deals
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Manage Financial/Cost aspects of ASP solutions:
Best sourcing strategies, Selecting the right vendor, Developing the right contacts, Sourcing-related HR issues, Communications planning, Best-in-class Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
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Manage Four Phases of the sourcing cycle:
Sourcing Strategy, Evaluation & Selection, Contract Development and Sourcing Management

The complete guide to defining-and using-the right ASP solutions

How to manage the risks and opportunities of ASP relationships

How to ensure performance, security, and reliability in ASP-supported applications

The practical guide to ASPs: strategies, tactics, implementation, and management.

Using Application Service Providers (ASPs) can save companies money, expedite the deployment of new enterprise applications, and enable the re-allocation of scarce resources to strategic business opportunities. Here's a complete guide to ASPs for every business decision-maker. In concise, easy-to-understand language, the ASP toolkit presents the business case for using ASP services, identifies the pitfalls and how to avoid them, explains the technologies supporting the services, and offers practical guidance on leveraging ASPs for maximum competitive advantage. The toolkit answers important questions, including:

* How does ASP "out tasking" fit with familiar outsourcing and time-sharing approaches?
* Who are the leading ASPs, and what differentiates one vendor from another?
* What applications ASPs do offer: from desktop to enterprise, payroll to storage?
* How do ASPs deliver the goods using multi-tier client/server and Web technology?
* How can ASPs drive down the cost of owning and managing e-business infrastructure?
* How can ASPs facilitate supply chain management and business process management?
* What really needs to be considered when evaluating the ASP option?
* How can requirements be identified and specified to ensure that an ASP meets them?
* How can ASP performance be measured?
* What steps can be taken to safeguard key business processes from an ASP failure?

Drawing on real-world examples, this toolkit offers a complete, step-by-step methodology for determining how and when to use ASPs, choosing the right provider, negotiating the best contract, deploying service efficiently, and managing ASP relationships for long-term success.