标题: Understanding the Deployment Options for& [打印本页] 作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-16 17:17 标题: Understanding the Deployment Options for your new
Configuration and customization Whether at the point of initial rollout or later in the solution life cycle, companies should be mindful of the configuration and customization requirements of their business management solution. Configuration caters to basic changes in areas such as: (1) simple workflow, (2) access and security, (3) user provisioning, (4) team membership, and (5) user preferences. Administrator-level and user-level configuration flexibility will enable you to map your solution more closely to the needs of your users and business processes. Both on-demand and on-premise solutions generally provide a wide range of configuration options.作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-16 17:20 标题: Re:Understanding the Deployment Options for your new
Customization refers to more complex functional requirements such as: (1) creation of custom entities, (2) custom screens, (3) custom tabs, (4) complex workflow, and (5) additional data fields. Existing screens, tabs, and entities can normally be customized with relative ease within both on-demand and on-premise solutions. On-premise or Hosted solutions, however, tend to provide a more effective solution in situations where additional custom screens, tabs, and entities need to be created from scratch or where complex workflow orchestration is required. Also, as customers of SaaS providers are typically charged for data over and above a certain volume, they are well-advised to minimize customizations like adding optional fields to avoid paying for additional data capacity. Look for a vendor that does not force you to adjust your business processes due to its technological limitations. Also, be aware of additional charges, such as data volume overage fees that can eat into your return on investment.作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-16 17:24 标题: Re:Understanding the Deployment Options for your new
Accessibility For companies with employees working remotely or operating offices away from internal IT support, the deployment decision is an especially important one. On-demand systems allow access to the system wherever an Internet connection is available, regardless of location, enabling companies to centralize key functions like accounting and operations on a standardized back-office system rather than having to resort to disparate systems. Some on-premise providers offer a Web client that allows staff to access the system in the same fashion as the on-demand systems.作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-16 17:24 标题: Re:Understanding the Deployment Options for your new
Mobility Companies should expect their business management system to be available to staff–particularly, those in customer-facing situations–regardless of their location or situation. If your company has field-based employees, then mobile access using PDAs, smartphones, or BlackBerry® devices is a “must have” requirement for your system. Mobile access to view reports, update contacts and sales opportunities, qualify leads, track customer issues, and manage tasks and calendars is available for both on-premise and on-demand solutions. A key consideration is selecting a solution that has been specifically optimized for mobile device access, rather than one that resorts to using third-party applications for mobile functionality. Also, disconnected–or offline–access should be available for situations where connectivity to the Internet is not possible.作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-16 17:27 标题: Re:Understanding the Deployment Options for your new
2. Investment timeline and total cost of ownership (TCO) With the average life cycle for a business management solution today of five to eight years, arriving at a clear understanding of the likely total cost of ownership (TCO) associated with any new system is an important consideration in any selection process. Deployment choice influences this area considerably, and companies should compare the investment and cost structures of all models thoroughly before making a decision.作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-16 17:29 标题: Re:Understanding the Deployment Options for your new
On-premise systems require upfront capital investment which can be written down over the lifetime of the system. On-demand systems, by contrast, involve fixed, periodic subscription charges over the solution’s life cycle. On-demand, therefore, can provide several advantages to companies with limited budgets, as it does not require the same upfront expenditure on software, hardware, or IT staff to support internal technology infrastructure. When viewed beyond the near-term, however, on-demand solutions can result in higher costs when compared to their on-premise peers. This is due to the fact that the on-demand monthly subscription fee is charged for as long as the system is in use. In the case of the on-premise system, there are no obligations to pay for software usage beyond the initial license purchase. Additionally, any TCO comparison needs to factor in the fact that the SaaS model monthly subscription fee may change over the lifetime of the system. Prospective customers should do their homework on SaaS vendors to determine whether there is a history of increasing subscription fees, which would negatively impact the cost-effectiveness of the SaaS solution.作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-16 17:32 标题: Re:Understanding the Deployment Options for your new
One way to mitigate the impact of the comparative increasing cost over time of an on-demand system is to partner with a vendor that allows you to move from its on-demand solution to the on-premise version of the same solution. Some vendors will even credit a portion of the on-demand subscription fees and allow you to apply them to the license costs of the on-premise system. This platform flexibility also is beneficial when business conditions change and the system needs to be customized in ways not supported by the typical SaaS solution, or when integration to additional applications becomes necessary. The customer is able to take advantage of the benefits of the on-premise system without having to deal with the pains of switching systems, such as end user training, data access and migration, and implementation.作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-16 17:33 标题: Re:Understanding the Deployment Options for your new
By way of example, the graph provides a cost comparison between on-premise and the on-demand options–Hosted and SaaS–over a five-year period. As we can see, the on-demand solutions require a lower upfront investment (approximately 30 to 50 percent lower than on-premise). The cumulative total cost associated with the on-demand solutions, however, increases at a faster rate than that of the on-premise deployment. By year five, the on-demand deployments are approximately 15 to 50 percent more costly than the on-premise solution. On-demand, therefore, will suit organizations that: (1) wish to benefit from lower upfront investment thresholds and (2) prefer a predictable, fixed monthly cost. On-premise, by contrast, is more likely to suit companies with an internal IT function and where a lower longer-term TCO is a key requirement作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-16 18:12 标题: Re:Understanding the Deployment Options for your new
Carrying out a like-for-like cost comparison Cost comparisons should be carried out on a like-for-like basis, as functionality and product capabilities vary significantly between providers. It is also important to understand the functional differences between editions of the same product. It may be the case that the vendor does not include some functionality in entry-level SaaS packages in order to offer the product at a lower price point or to provide for a more compelling upgrade path in the future when greater functionality may be required. Be wary of vendors that attempt to lure you in with $99/user/month deals only to spring prices that are four to five times as much for the solution that actually meets your requirements. Extra costs may include modules with additional functionality, access to technical support, wireless functionality, data storage overage, data back-up service, and more. Also, be aware that while the SaaS model is, in part, built around the ability for customer to pay on a monthto- month basis, some vendors will only make the most attractive pricing available for those that commit to multiyear contracts, or not offer the monthly pricing option at all.作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-16 18:15 标题: Re:Understanding the Deployment Options for your new
3. Data security / data access While on-premise systems require you to retain data in-house, data used in on-demand systems is hosted at an external facility. The degree of data sensitivity, therefore, will have an influence on deployment choice. For certain companies, customer data is perceived to be too sensitive to be hosted externally; an on-premise solution, therefore, will generally be the preferred option for these organizations.作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-16 18:29 标题: Re:Understanding the Deployment Options for your new
Access to the data is also an important consideration. With on-premise system, the data is housed on the company servers on-site and under the control of the internal IT team. With on-demand systems, data is housed off-site in data warehouses operated by the vendor or its partner. It is critical to be able to access this data as need arises. The vendor’s solution should provide tools that allow you to export your e-mail, files, customer information, and other data when you need it and in a form that is portable into other solutions. Beware of vendors that “hold your data hostage” by providing inadequate export tools, by restricting access to the data, or by not releasing data in a useful format, making analysis using a thirdparty tool difficult, or worse, making it virtually impossible to move on to a new business management solution. Realize that your mission-critical business data should not be used as a bargaining chip
