Building on its commitment to the Application Service Provider (ASP) market, Sun Microsystems Inc. , unveiled today at ISPCON in Las Vegas, Destination ASP, a program which aggregates Sun’s go-to-market offerings.
Destination ASP provides independent software vendors (ISVs) in the Sun Developer Connection program, with the tools, partners and Sun support allowing them to enter the ASP market with sustainable business models that can drive user demand. Destination ASP pilot participants include Oracle, Lawson Software, Corio, Portera, Appshop, and Eagle Investments.
Sun garnered the information, tools and resources most critical to partners by partnering with many developing and deploying ASPs. Industry analysts believe the consolidated program offers both strategic and tactical assistance to ISVs.
“While all platform vendors help ISVs build and deploy their applications, Sun is going the extra mile by helping with what is arguably the most important job — getting to market quickly and successfully,” says Lew Hollerbach, research director for service providers at Aberdeen Group. He believes that Destination ASP should provide a welcome shot in the arm for ISVs.
Jeanette Kennedy, senior director for Partner Programs and Services, Sun Microsystems Inc. argues that the delivery of applications as a service is here to stay with the ASP business model continuing to evolve, in particular among ISVs who can best determine how to deploy it: “We’ve combined the most valuable resources and key partners to make the conversion to, and the marketing and selling of an ASP model as simple and as profitable as possible,” she says.
Among the benefits Destination ASP can provide ISVs are:
— An online, consolidated roadmap that navigates ISVs through resources from Sun and its partners for building long-standing and profitable ASP solutions.
— Access to a consolidated, broader menu of strategic and tactical go-to-market offerings, such as direct marketing tools, customer outreach programs, joint promotions and conference and trade event participation.
— Use of Sun’s new ASP readiness assessment tools, allowing ISVs to conduct online self-assessments for understanding their current application, business and overall market readiness. The tools enable ISVs to prioritize decision-making in areas such as partnering, delivery strategy, future application design requirements, pricing and product mix of their ASP solution.
— Invitation to apply for SunTone certification for applications or services. This ‘seal of approval’ tells customers and partners that the company’s application or service has met industry-defined high standards of quality.
— Access to revolving promotions and discounts on Sun and Sun partner products and services used to build software for the Web.