| by
Susan V. Crosson, Santa Fe Community College, Florida
and Carol Yacht, Software Consultant
ASPs, or application service providers, offer the latest,
most up-to-date software that can be accessed anytime and anywhere by
authorized users. QuickBooks for the Web, ePeachtree, and NetLedger are three
examples of ASP hosted systems. Because these systems are continually being
updated and enhanced, the look of the screens the user sees may
change—although the basic data collected generally remains the same.
What are some of the advantages of an ASP over buying and
installing software on your own computer for your courses?
You can access the ASP from any computer connected to the Internet. Thus, they
provide anytime, anywhere access. It is always current — software upgrades
and virus scans are automatic. The most updated version of the software is used
every time a user logs on. Installation is easy—just sign up online. If
you can access the ASP web site, you know your computer is ready to use the
software. Since there is no software CD, there are no specific installation
requirements either. It is compatible between users—most ASPs are
operating-system independent, meaning they can be used with Windows, Linux, or
Macintosh. It is an affordable alternative for software delivery and
maintenance for students—ASPs offer free trial periods of 14 to 30 days so
students can try out these web-based integrated systems and fast-changing
technologies without up-front software installation costs or monthly charges.
Also, skilled IT (information technology) support is guaranteed (a big plus for
a college that cannot get enough qualified IT professionals to support its
computer needs). Finally, an ASP is e-commerce ready—meaning it is
equipped to do business-to-business systems applications and Internet-based
commerce.
What are some of the disadvantages of an ASP over buying
and installing software on your own computer for your courses?
When you use an ASP, all data processing is done over the Internet. For this
reason, a high-speed Internet connection is recommended. These include Digital
Subscriber Lines (DSL), cable connections, T-1 connections, and wireless radio
modems.
When ASPs are used in businesses, they have the following
additional disadvantages. Business users become dependent on their ASPs,
meaning they are vulnerable to the integrity of their ASP and may become
victims of the ASP’s power outages, system crashes, financial health, and
data security and redundancy policies. ASP users lose control over scalability
and the development of features necessary to customize software to their
particular business needs. The issue of maintaining and backing up data outside
the ASP grows in importance as users consider alternative offers of service
from various ASPs. Once the ASP model of software delivery has been adopted,
the cost to change to a comparable software program resident on company
computers may become expensive.
What are the web site addresses for the ASPs?
Each Website includes a link for a free trial version of the
software. The three ASPs mentioned in this article are:
- QuickBooks for the Web, which is one of Intuit
Software’s accounting programs, is located at
http://www.QuickBooks.com/qb4web.
QuickBooks for the Web offers a 30-day free-trial version. After the free-
trial period, it is $14.95/per month for up to five users.
- ePeachtree, which is one of Peachtree Software’s
accounting programs is located at
http://www.peachtree.com/epeachtree.
ePeachtree offers a 30-day free-trial version. After the free-trial period, it
is $9.99/per month for one user. Additional users can be added for $4.99
per month.
- NetLedger, which is a part of Oracle
Corpora-tion’s Small Business Suite, is located at
http://www.oraclesmallbusiness.com.
Oracle offers a 14-day free-trial version of the suite that contains accounting
as well as customer relation management, webstore, webpage, payroll, online
bill paying, expense reporting, and time and billing capabilities. After the
free-trial period, it is $9.95/month/user for up to 5 users for the accounting
component, which includes free access to an accountant. Additional components
can be added at an additional charge—the full suite is $99/month. The full
suite can be used with up to 100 employees.
How can I use an ASP in my course?
Since the ASPs have a limited free-trial version available (from 14 to 30
days), consider using an ASP as a supplement to your introductory accounting or
computerized accounting course. In the same way that you use a practice set or
case problem, you could consider using an ASP. Giving your students experience
using Internet-delivered software provides them with a real-world application.
Individual and team projects could also be developed. Try an ASP; you might
like it!
To reach Susan Crosson, please email her at
susancrosson@sfcc.net or Carol Yacht
at carol@carolyacht.com.
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