iTECH — The ‘Hosted’ Alternative: How to Rent Software
Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.
Can a motor carrier fulfill all its information technology needs by using software available from an online host? Would it be wise to do so?
Many software providers now “rent” their software to users who do their work through the vendor’s Web site. This is called an application service provider (ASP) model, and it is often offered as a less expensive alternative to buying a software package to be installed on the user’s own server.“The ASP model is just a different way of purchasing software,” said Gregory Confer, director of process analysis and improvement for Ward Trucking, a less-than-truckload carrier in Altoona, Pa. Ward Trucking uses an ASP provided by Cheetah Software to assign pickups and deliveries to drivers each day, plot their routes and track their progress.This article appeared in the December 2006/January 2007 edition of TT's iTECH supplement, published in the Dec. 11 issue of Transport Topics. For the full story, see the Dec. 11 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.
Can a motor carrier fulfill all its information technology needs by using software available from an online host? Would it be wise to do so?
Many software providers now “rent” their software to users who do their work through the vendor’s Web site. This is called an application service provider (ASP) model, and it is often offered as a less expensive alternative to buying a software package to be installed on the user’s own server.“The ASP model is just a different way of purchasing software,” said Gregory Confer, director of process analysis and improvement for Ward Trucking, a less-than-truckload carrier in Altoona, Pa. Ward Trucking uses an ASP provided by Cheetah Software to assign pickups and deliveries to drivers each day, plot their routes and track their progress.This article appeared in the December 2006/January 2007 edition of TT's iTECH supplement, published in the Dec. 11 issue of Transport Topics. For the full story, see the Dec. 11 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.
