Wireless Application Service Providers - WASP

With a market populated with industry leaders, ASPs, and neophyte companies, choosing a proven W-ASP can be daunting task -- how does one tell them apart? They all appear to promise the convenience and the freedom from implementing a wireless system. But do they? Mobileinfo.Com has compiled a set of criteria on which an enterprise can make an informed decision.

W-ASP Model
Instead of investing in costly infrastructure, involving equipment purchases, which need to be maintained and upgraded, and in the training and hiring of staff, the W-ASP model enables the enterprise to rent or, in effect, subscribe to a complete or partial wireless solution. In most cases, a company will pay based on a monthly per user/transaction fee, including a percentage of the costs for the middleware license and maintenance charges, thus eliminating significant up-front costs. The hosting provider runs either the server, or server/application combination off-site on its own hardware. In addition, it would be responsible for maintaining the communications hardware and software infrastructure.

Typical Cost Implications
According to figures compiled by Broadbeam, a W-ASP, over a three-year period, it would cost a company approximately $155,000 for the wireless middleware and maintenance costs for a single device and network, with 200 users, by employing an in-house approach. Where the same project would cost $105,000 using the W-ASP model.

Core Hosting Service
There are many companies claiming they are Wireless ASPs, even though they do not fit. According to our definition, the core service of any W-ASP is hosting. Over the last twelve months, there have been many companies offering wireless applications, but of those few offer a comprehensive hosting service. Many offer, essentially, complementary services, which may be inadequate to meet the needs of an organization. In most cases, a hosting service comprise of the following:

• Network Connectivity
• 24 x 7 365 Real-time monitoring
• Help desk support
• Problem detection
• Diagnostics and resolution
• Statistical reporting

Wireless ASP’s support centers can often identify potential problems; maintain all connections to the networks and set up, and maintain and upgrade all server and hardware. In addition, the W-ASP can monitor traffic and billing, and create a hybrid of network connectivity to maximize coverage, while minimizing costs.

Expertise
Essentially, a W-ASP is as good as its skilled professionals. It is essential that the staff have expertise in wireless technologies from development to deployment to management. Does the W-ASP specialize in one or two technologies, such as SMS versus WAP versus Bluetooth? Even though a W-ASP may have the expertise and experience, does it have the manpower to host a comprehensive hosting service? Does it have experience in particular industries?

Research shows that relative cost for manpower for a medium-size installation is about $230,000 to provide the support in house while a Wireless ASP can provide it for approximately $145,000. (Source Broadbeam)

End-To-End Solution
Can the W-ASP provide an end-to-end solution that includes wireless network; wireless data transmission; wireless protocols; end-user devices; wireless modems; wireless carrier management; customer support, and network management? In addition, does the infrastructure support multiple networks and devices, with the security, redundancies, and fault-tolerance necessary to run mission-critical applications?

Wireless Connectivity
To ensure reliable and continuous service, it is critical that the W-ASP monitor and manage wireless connectivity 24 x 7 x 365. What technologies and procedures are in place to guarantee a secure operational service, such as security, fault-tolerance, network monitoring and control, and redundant connections to the wireless service provider?

Customer Support
Beyond the technical components of the service, equally important is the manpower needed for implementation, project planning, and technical support. For instance, one service quite often over looked is a comprehensive training program that specifically addresses the needs of the end-users. Equally important is 24 x 7 customer support, especially for larger companies due to the nature of their business and the work schedules of their mobile workers. Is the W-ASP’s customer support or help desk manned by qualified workers who can meet the needs of all users?

Product Fulfillment
Can the W-ASP manage hardware, end-user devices, software, and carrier relationships?

Best-of-Breed Solution
No one W-ASP can provide an end-to-end or comprehensive wireless solution without agreements with other vendors. A W-ASP thus will have to have partnership agreements with other vendors from carriers to wireless handset manufacturers. It is important, therefore, for a potential customer to be aware of and understand these agreements in order to assess the quality of technology and service provided. Ideally, the vendors should have worked together successfully in the past.

Open Standards
In order to preserve an organization’s IT investment, a W-ASP should be able to leverage its existing infrastructure while extending it to mobile and wireless devices. For example, a W-ASP’s wireless server should be able to provide open enterprise integration into existing corporate systems including databases, enterprise resource planning systems, and legacy systems.

Scalability
With the plethora of existing wireless devices and the emergence of next generation devices, a W-ASP should be able to handle the expansion of new users and remote offices. For example, organizations often add new networks for coverage in newly deployed regions. While wireless middleware can assist in this, hosting ensures that new network deployments involve minimal up-front costs and no down time.

Security
When an organization decides to extend critical applications to new devices, networks, and protocols, new security issues must be addressed. Does the W-ASP provide authentication and authorization as well as data encryption? Can the W-ASP integrate wireless-specific security support with existing security infrastructure such as firewalls, PKI technology, and VPNs.

Opt-Out Feature in Your Agreements With a W-ASP
W-ASP agreements should not tie you down with a single vendor or on a specific business arrangement for a long time. In view of the nascent nature of the market, we advise opt-out option after one year, then three and five year period. In case of opt-out, you should have a pre-determined cost of repatriation of application software infrastructure - just like a car lease.

Time to Market
A marketing incentive used by all W-ASPs is the promise of freedom from the hassles of developing and deploying a wireless system. To a great extent, hosting with a W-ASP can eliminate most problems and time-consuming factors, such as establishing connections to wireless carriers. In most cases, a customer can expect network deployments to have minimal or absolutely no effect on its day-to-day operations. Companies that have worked along side their W-ASP, such as putting the necessary provisions in place, have reported experiencing "close to hassle free transitions."

Criteria For Evaluating Wireless ASPs

• Vendor's wireless systems integration expertise
• Vendor's mobile application development expertise
• Ownership of infrastructure used to operate the service - if it is through a third party ISP, what value do they add and is this significant as compared to going directly to the ISP.
• Service level agreement that specifies quality of service 
• Number of customers it has
• Vendor survival index - number of years in business and adequately funded business model
• References of current set of customers 
• Flexibility of contracts - opt-out feature
• Transfer ownership of application software customization