ABSTRACT

Application service providers (ASPs) have received a large amount of attention in the information technology (IT) service industry and the financial capital markets.

A quote from Scott McNealy, CEO of Sun Microsystems, is typical of the enthusiasm industry leaders have for the ASP service model: “Five years from now, if you’re a CIO with a head for business, you won’t be buying computers anymore. You won’t buy software either. You’ll rent all your resources from a service provider.”