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ASPs: An Alternative to Maintaining In-House Library Automation Software
by Robert R. Myers Jr. – Arter & Hadden LLP

An Application Service Provider (ASP) delivers and manages various computer applications and services from a remote data center to multiple users via the Internet or a private network.¹

In exchange for the use of the application, the end-user pays an annual or monthly rental or lease fee. Serials check-in/routing software and Online Public Access Catalogs (OPACs) are two obvious library software applications that can be outsourced to an ASP. This article focuses on the pros and cons of using an ASP for law library applications and provides an abbreviated checklist of things to consider in selecting an ASP. The choice as to whether one uses an ASP for library applications or stays with the traditional model of in-house network installed applications should be based on each library's particular situation and needs. As ASPs are a rather new and untested mode of application delivery, a major consideration in deciding whether to use an ASP for law library applications is your comfort level with trusting an outside vendor to store, maintain, and deliver your library's serials and cataloging records.

Our law firm libraries stumbled into the innovative world of ASPs in part by default and in part by design. During the first quarter 1999, we discovered that the serials program we had been using in several offices was not Y2K compliant. Three considerations stood out as "must haves." First, we wanted a Web-based program that would allow each of our librarians located in different offices to have live access to each other's serials holdings. Secondly, time was of the essence and since the supposed Y2K "eve of destruction" was rapidly approaching, we could not rely on the firm's over-burdened IS department to install, convert, and rollout our new serials program. Finally, we did not have a lot of money to spend on our new serials program. Enter the ASP! My view on the use of ASPs is that they are a wonderful method of application delivery in theory, but that a few more issues (both technical and contractual in nature) need to be worked out before ASPs can be the end-all solution.

For those considering the use of an ASP for library applications, the benefits (both theoretical and real) are many:

Cost. The cost for the first couple of years is less expensive than purchasing or leasing the software outright. (Some studies have reported 33 to 55% savings².)

No special hardware or software required. Perhaps the main reason anyone turns to an ASP is to avoid having to purchase any special software, servers or other hardware. All that is required is a good Internet connection and a browser.

Less library staff required for rollout. Converting records from one system to another often requires a fair amount of library staff time. With an ASP, the provider can be contracted to perform the conversion and tweak the individual records.

No internal IS support required. Since installation, conversion, management, maintenance, and backup of the application software and library records is performed by the ASP provider, no internal IS staff are needed to roll out and/or support the software. In our case, the IS department has not been involved at all.

Can be deployed very rapidly. Unlike software that must be configured and tweaked to run on each office's network by the firm's IS department (an often painfully slow undertaking), software accessed via an ASP is ready-made and ready to go once an Internet link is established.

Backups of data not required. As the data resides on the ASP's servers, the ASP provider performs backups. This saves time, money and staffing.

Automatic software updates. With an ASP, the provider performs routine software updates on their end in a seamless process. Gone are the days of receiving a quarterly update and waiting a few more months for the IS department to deploy the update. This means we are using the most current version of the software as soon as it is available without the headaches of having to install it.

All offices on same version of software. Because the ASP provider rolls out software upgrades uniformly to each customer, all offices within the firm are assured of running the same version of software.

Allows multi-office access. An ASP enables all libraries in a multi-office firm to access each other's holdings without investing in expensive Citrix, GraphOn, SCO or other Web-enabling software.

Application looks and feels as if in-house. Provided that you have a relatively fast Internet connection, the look and feel of using software via an ASP as compared to internally mounted software is virtually the same. But see cons below!

Reliability. In theory, ASP provided software is supposed to be more reliable than in-house supported software (i.e., much less down time). However, reliability will be affected by the performance of your Internet connection.

Immediate Customer Service response. An ASP should provide immediate or near immediate customer response if you are experiencing a problem with their system. Paying customers are the reason they provide ASP service. They need to keep you happy. Compare this to response time of an IS department who must prioritize between partner, associate, administration, other departments, and the library's needs. The library does not always rate the best response time in that case.

More predictable cost model. As ASPs are contracted under an annual or multi-year inclusive service agreement, budgeting for support and maintenance of the software is very simple. You simply budget for the annual service cost. All other cost considerations (need for more server space, cost to install an upgrade, etc.) are the responsibility of the ASP under the service agreement.

Opt out. Should you find that you are not completely satisfied with the ASP software or service or that you want to switch to something different, you can opt out of the contract and pay only your up-front conversion costs and your monthly or annual contract fee to date. (Obviously, the terms of your actual ASP service contract will dictate what fees you actually owe.)

Of course, if ASPs were everything that they were cracked up to be, we'd all be using this model and our internal IS staffs would be shrinking instead of increasing. Like most things, there is a downside to accessing library software via an ASP.

No access if Internet is down. Perhaps the biggest downside to using an ASP is that if your Internet connection goes down, you cannot use the application. If you have only one line into the Internet and it frequently goes down, then you should not rely on an ASP for your library apps.

Slow Internet connection. If your Internet connection is slow, then your ASP application will be slow. A slow-running application is extremely frustrating especially if you were previously used to the real-time speed of an in-house server based program.

Slightly slower response time. Even if you have a very fast Internet connection, you probably will notice a slightly slower response time using an ASP especially during peak Internet usage times.

Application once removed. Related to the slower response time is a feeling that you are somehow distanced from the software. Every time I access an application running on Web-enabled software, whether it is CD-ROMs, library software, or some other application, I get the sensation of not quite being there. The sensation goes away the more I use a particular Web-enabled application and I believe vast improvements are being made in this area.

High degree of customization not possible. An ASP's ability to provide a platform and software at an affordable cost necessitates that the software not come with a high degree of individualized customization. This means that you tend to have to do things the way the vendor has it set up for everyone, but it does lend itself to uniformity across office libraries in a multi-office environment.

Cost. While the initial costs of using an ASP are lower than purchasing the software or leasing it in-house, several years down the road you may find that the annual ASP lease fee actually costs more than if you had brought the software in-house. On the other hand, the hidden internal IS support costs, hardware costs, etc. that go along with in-house supported software may offset the long-term ASP costs. Also, the ASP will provide you with the most recent upgrades of the software at no extra cost, whereas a new version of in-house supported software may require you to lay out a significant amount of cash.

Renewal cost. Another cost consideration is that of renewing the contract once the initial subscription period ends. Obviously, the ASP provider will be looking to increase the price knowing that you are hooked on their application and that you have your data stored in their format. Other ASPs and library software vendors will want your business and can be used as leverage to negotiate reasonable terms with your current ASP.

Once the pros and cons of ASP provided applications have been weighed and you have decided that an ASP fits your library's current needs, there are a number of factors to consider in selecting a particular provider. ASPs are still in their infancy. Frequently service contracts are negotiated customer by customer, thus librarians need to establish solid, clear service level agreements with the ASP, delineating boundaries of responsibility, establishing ownership of data, and setting timetables.³ The following checklist is not meant to be comprehensive, but merely highlights some of the key elements to consider.

Select an ASP based on the qualities of the specific serials or OPAC software they offer. If you don't care for a vendor's particular library application software to begin with, you will not like it any better once it is Web-enabled.

Availability. You want to choose a vendor that offers 24-hour-a-day access from anywhere.

Reliability. Choose a vendor that guarantees very little down time. Check with other libraries using the particular ASP to find out how reliable they are.

Speed. Given that your Internet connection is quick, is the pipe into the ASP large enough to handle all the traffic or will you experience delays on the ASP's end? Are the ASP's servers large enough and fast enough that you won't experience delays?

Backups/Disaster recovery. You'll want to find out how frequently your records are backed up and what type of disaster recovery plan is in place in case your data are lost.

Security. What type of security does the ASP offer? Not that anyone's serial records or catalog records are that confidential (though borrowing records should be kept confidential), but are your records protected from hacking?

Ramp-up time. What is the timetable for set-up and conversion of your previous system's records to the ASP's format?

Customer Service. What is the quality and quantity (24/7) of customer service? Do they offer technical only or does it include end-user support? Is there an 800 number?

Training. What type of software training is included: on site, telephone or user manual only?

Cost. What is the annual cost? What will be the cost of subsequent years' renewals? Are all software and ASP server upgrades included in the annual cost?

Billing. Is billing to be annual or monthly?

Reputation/References. Contact other libraries using the particular ASP and software you are considering. If possible, try to contact libraries using the software other than the ones the vendor tells you.

Test the ASP connection and software. Ideally the vendor will allow you to access the ASP software for a free thirty-day trial before you enter an agreement or convert any records. In reality, you will probably only be offered a canned demo on the vendor's Web site or a CD-ROM version of the software – neither of which live up to an actual free trial. Hence checking with other libraries using the software/ASP is vital.

The decision to use an Application Service Provider to access, store and maintain your library's serials and/or catalog records really comes down to each library's needs in terms of multi-office, real-time access; number of IS and library staff available to support the project; budget; and turn-around time. Where there is a fit, an ASP can play an important role. Because ASPs are still in their infancy, service contracts are frequently negotiated on a customer-by-customer basis. Hence, it is incumbent upon librarians to clearly delineate levels of responsibility and ownership of data in their ASP contracts. Development of a comprehensive checklist prior to entering negotiations with an ASP can help to ensure that various contract issues do not get overlooked.

Robert R. Myers Jr. can be reached at rmyers@arterhadden.com

¹ The ASP Industry Consortium Resource Library: FAQS; All about ASP: Definitions, Reports, Links. http://216.64.7.75/aqs.html

²The ASP Industry Consortium Resource Library: FAQS; All about ASP:Definitions, Reports, Links. http://216.64.7.75/aqs.html

³Eastley, Mikelle Fisher; "Ground Rules for Selecting an Application Service Provider;" Internet Week, Insights & Incites; March 22, 1999; http://www.internetwk.com/columns/map032299.htm

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