Application Service Provision: A Working Tool for Inter-Organizational Systems in the Internet Age

Abstract

The Application Service Provision (ASP) business model offers a pragmatic adoption path for inter-organizations in the Internet Age. Given this pragmatic adoption path, academics are beginning to question the following: Where are enterprises adopting ASP technology first? Why are they choosing these areas? Where will they apply the evolving Web services technology next? This chapter’s primary purposes are to point out a number of issues that concern management of inter-organizations of the Internet Age and to explore the impact of ASP on such organizations. It will examine the strategies that will enable inter-organizations to better manage ASP resources for competitive advantage. While the phenomenon of ASP is still in an embryonic stage, we draw from seminal works of IS pioneers like Markus, Porter, Checkland, Maslow, and others. Their intellectual contributions, plus findings from research work at Brunel University, provide a framework for discussion. By shedding light on patterns of ASP’s trajectory, drivers, benefits, and risks, the chapter will help managers and academics to reflect on determining where ASP—and associated technologies—might be deployed and define a broad implementation program to exploit the potential of the ASP business model. The chapter seeks to find if Web services architectures are distinctively able to enhance the flexible coordination of business processes, which span various enterprises and rely on inter-organization information systems in the Internet Age.